The Names Melt and The Faces Blur - Book One: Water
by Druella Whitacre
Summary: Kya left Jet and joined Aang on his journey to the North Pole. Tana was saved from the ocean and brought aboard Zuko's ship during a storm. Nazala traveled with Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee in search of the Avatar. What happens when they're the same girl?
1. Jet

Book One :

Water

Chapter Ten :

Jet

We ran through the darkening forest, running for our lives, our pursuers being the fire nation soldiers we raided just moments ago. Jet, our leader, whistled orders to the others, sending them into the treetops, as the two of us split up still on solid ground. The soldiers' numbers split in two, a very idiotic move if you ask me. Our friends in the trees made easy business of picking them off. Hearing no further footfalls behind me, I took a running start and leaped onto a low hanging tree branch. I then climbed to the top and started on my journey home.

I made quick business of this journey, for the forest was no longer safe at night; more and more fire nation had been filtering into the area. Landing on one of the many platforms that made up our home, I was immediately joined by Jet.

"Kya, I found another camp of soldiers to raid. We can stay in the trees until we get a proper distraction and then take them down," stated Jet. The excitement that once filled his youthful eyes had drained over the many years. He no longer viewed the fire nation as just 'the enemy'. They were now a parasite to him, infesting our lands, destroying the lives of innocents by the hundreds, if not thousands.

I merely nodded my consent to his plan and entered my tent. I spent the next hour listening to the others slowly make their way to bed. As the last set of footsteps made their own way, I silently exited my tent. Making not a sound, I leaped from the platform and landed softly on the ground below. My patrol was unknown to the others. They had not a clue of my nightly excursions searching for Him, the one from my dreams and visions. The visions that fill my mind the moment my eyes close. The dreams that I awake from, silently screaming, in a cold sweat. My searches were constantly disappointing. With nothing but a vague memory of his face and no name, there was little chance of finding him.

Emerging from my reverie, I became aware of a small campfire looming in the distance. It couldn't have been the soldiers Jet had mentioned; their fire would be bright, unafraid of being ambushed. This fire was small, barely flickering between the three sleeping bags set around it. I could feel my heart skip a beat as I thought that maybe one of them could be Him. Unfortunately, my heart was forced to sink when I inspected their faces to find him not there. Instead I found a water tribe boy and girl, and what seemed to be a young air nomad monk. My inspection, sadly, was interrupted when the first ray of sunlight peaked through the trees. I was forced to abandon my search, knowing all too well that Jet would already be awake and readying us to head out.

Arriving at the hideout, I sneaked into the back of my tent through a hidden cut in the canvas. Not a moment later, the bell on the front of the tent was wrung.

"Kya, you awake?" came Jet's voice.

"Yah, I'm up, be right there." I listened to him retreating from my tent and then flung myself back onto my makeshift bed, letting out a frustrated huff. Quickly, I changed out of the black shirt and pants I had worn that night and into my normal clothes for the day, a pale brown shirt, a dark green bodice, and brown shorts . Exiting my tent, I strapped two crescent moon knives to each of my thighs and dragged two foot long Twin Hook swords behind me, hooking them into a scabbard strapped onto my back. They were almost identical to Jet's since we collected both sets from a raid nearly a year previously.

"You set?" asked Jet, and with a collective nod from all of us, we were off. The journey there was easy, it was the waiting that would kill us. Taking them down would be easy enough with the proper distraction, but heading in with them still alert was almost certainly suicide. Granted our numbers had grown over the years, but those numbers consisted mainly of children unable to battle even each other, let alone trained fire nation soldiers.

We hid in the trees surrounding the clearing, poised for attack. Moments later, the three I had found mere hours before emerged from between the trees, giving us the perfect distraction. Jet leapt from his position and took out two of the soldiers saying, "Down you go."

"Show off," I muttered as I took down two of my own. The battle raged for mere moments before all was ceased. I stood next to the ever-silent Longshot as Jet spoke to the travelers. He introduced everyone by name as the others went through the camp: me, Smellerbee, Sneers, Longshot, Pipsqueak, and The Duke.

"Hey, Jet," called out The Duke. "These barrels are filled with blasting jelly."

Pipsqueak added, "And these boxes are filled with jelly candy."

"We best not get those mixed up," said Jet still standing with the newcomers. Getting impatient, I picked up a barrel and walked in the direction of the hide out. The others followed quickly behind, an added three on the end. After not too long I began struggling with the weight of the barrel. Normally its weight would be nothing for me, but my lack of rest was taking its toll.

"Let me help, Kya," said Pipsqueak as the barrel was lifted out of my grip.

"Thanks, Pip," I said massaging my shoulder.

"'Kya'?" asked the water tribe boy we had picked up. "That's a water tribe name. Are you from the northern tribe?" He seemed almost suspicious of me, hiding it poorly.

"My mother was, but she left when she was still very young. She met my father in Omashu and I grew up there," I told him, lying through my teeth. "I've never been to either tribe." He seemed satisfied with my story and we walked on in silence. Coming upon the hide out, Jet showed the three travelers how to get up as I flitted into the tree tops with many of the others. Landing softly on one of the many platforms I watched as the air nomad swooped down on his staff.

I walked to him and held out my hand to greet him. "I'm Kya, and your name?"

"I'm Aang!" he said, or rather, yelled. He shook my hand vigorously sending tremors up my arm.

"Were all air benders as happy as you?" I asked jokingly. He laughed in return and I knew that Aang and I would be good friends.

"Aang!" came the voice of the water tribe girl, Katara. She gestured for Aang to follow her and Jet, and he complied with a slight wave to me. I waved goodbye as he turned his back and I walked to my tent to remove my weapons and rest. My bodice was tied merely to keep from falling off and keep me covered rather than to pronounce my figure, and I had become so accustomed to wearing it that I neglected to even remove it before lying down on my cot. I slept for hours and didn't wake until just before sunrise the next day. Because of our visitors, Jet wouldn't be taking all of us on a patrol, so I had the day off to explore. I left all but one of my knives in my tent, like I normally did on my nightly searches. There was no need to carry the extra weight when there was no threat to me.

Walking aimlessly through the forest, I came to the main path that weaved through the trees. I stayed alongside of it, never actually stepping onto it. The smallest of sounds could be heard somewhere above me and I recognized one of the soft, murmuring voices to be Jet's. Keeping out of sight, I watched as they listened for the footsteps of anyone on the path. A moment later, I saw an elderly fire nation man hobbling on a crutch. Jet, doing the expected, leaped from the trees to confront the man with Smellerbee and Pipsqueak at his side. They harassed the poor man and brought him to his knees, not stopping their cruel actions until Sokka intervened. He convinced them to leave the man alone and they left together.

"Are you alright?" I asked in the best scared little girl voice I could muster, letting my long, black hair fall loosely around my waist and in front of my eyes. I emerged from the bushes and approached the man. Helping him to his feet, I collected his bag from the ground and handed it to him.

"I will be fine, my dear," he said. "Just a little shaken is all."

"Are you headed to Gaipan?" I asked, getting a nod as an answer. "Then I will accompany you there," I said, resolutely. He failed in his protests and gave in, linking his arm with mine. We walked together across the path to Gaipan in silence, only admiring the forest's beauty.

* * *

><p>When I returned to the hideout, Sokka was storming from Jet's tent muttering about how he 'didn't see a knife on the old man'. I entered Jet's tent without announcement and found him speaking with Aang and Katara. He nodded once in greeting and I sat down beside him, listening intently on their conversation.<p>

"The fire nation is planning on burning down our forest," began Jet. He explained that to stop them, the reservoir needed to be filled to put out the resulting fires. That was the first I had heard of any such plot, but I kept quiet and merely listened until the two of them left, convinced of his noble intentions.

"What's the real story?" I asked Jet, still sitting comfortably on his bed. He turned and looked at me, trying to feign innocence. "Cut the crap, Jet. I know you're planning something and I want in," I said, my lips curling into a mischievous smirk. He bought the act and went on to tell me of his plan to blow the dam and flood Gaipan, ridding it of the fire nation. My immediate thought was of the elderly man I had helped and the innocent people that would be killed in the flood. By then, he was sitting next to me, leaning in to me deeply. I rested my hand on his cheek and smiled, silently pretending to agree with his plan.

That night near dawn, Jet, Pipsqueak, The Duke, Longshot, Smellerbee, Sneers, and I went out to set up the blasting jelly at the base of the dam. As Jet was giving instructions to the others, I stood at his side, my eyes watching the movement in the tree line. I motioned silently for Pipsqueak and Smellerbee to check it out and they came back a moment later dragging Sokka behind them.

"Sokka, I'm glad you decided to join us," said Jet, jokingly.

The two holding Sokka threw him to the ground at our feet and he struggled to stand, rubbing his shoulder. "I heard your plan to destroy the earth kingdom town."

"Our plan is to rid the valley of the fire nation," Jet responded defiantly.

"There are people living there, Jet. Mothers and fathers and children."

Jet gave his reasons about there being a need for sacrifices. They continued to argue back and forth, and I ignored their petty excuses. "I was hoping you'd have an open mind, Sokka," said Jet. "But I can see you've made your choice. Smellerbee, Kya, take Sokka on a walk, a long walk."

Smellerbee tied Sokka's hands behind his back and we began our way through the forest, following one of the minor paths. "How can you stand by and do nothing while Jet wipes out a whole town?" asked Sokka incredulously.

"Jet's a great leader," began Smellerbee. "We follow what he says and things always turn out okay." Suddenly, Sokka took a sharp turn to the left and ran off into the forest. I stayed glued to the path as Smellerbee ran after him, winding up caught in a fire nation trap. She sat, suspended in a round metal cage over twenty feet in the air.

Sokka stood on the ground beneath her as I made my way toward him. He glanced my way and backed up slightly. "Stay back," he commanded.

"You're not really in a position to threaten me." His hands were still tied behind his back and he carried no weapon. He took off running through the untamed forest, but quickly tripped from his usual clumsiness. He lay on his stomach and I came up behind him, cutting away the rope binding his hands. He turned over and looked up at me as I held out my hand. A moment later, he accepted my help by taking my hand and I pulled him to his feet.

Without a word, we took off into the forest and headed to Gaipan. When we arrived, Sokka began urging both the villagers and soldiers to leave the town and he explained Jet's plan to flood the valley. No one seemed to believe him, claiming he was merely a spy and one of the soldiers pointed out my allegiance with Jet and the Freedom Fighters. It seemed hopeless until the old man we had tried to help stepped forward. With his help, we led the villagers out of the city and to higher ground.

"Sokka, you go get Appa," I began, "I'll see if I can stop the explosion." He nodded once and took off into the forest, calling for Appa. Leaping into the trees, I made my way to the dam, praying I could get there in time. The unmistakable chirpings of Jet and the others rang through the air as I spotted Longshot, perched on a branch, an arrow already lit and ready to fire. I surged forward, but he had already let it go when I ran full force into him. He fell from the tree and hit the ground as the blasting jelly ignited. The explosion rang out as the water gushed forward destroying the town below.

"Jet, you monster!" cried the voice of Katara from the ground below me.

"This was a victory, Katara, remember that," responded Jet. I slowly climbed from the tree I was in and discovered Jet frozen to the trunk of a tree. Aang and Katara stood before him as tears ran down her face. "The fire nation is gone, and this valley will be safe."

I looked over and saw Sokka riding on top of the great bison Appa calling out to the others, "It will be safe, without you. Kya and I warned the villagers of your plan, just in time." At that, I emerged from behind the tree Jet was pinned to. He looked at me and his eyes showed a hatred I had only seen directed towards the fire nation. Good call.

"You fools!" he spat at us. "We could have freed this valley!"

"Who would be free?" asked Sokka rhetorically. "Everyone would be dead."

"Kya, you traitor!" he screamed at me. The betrayal in his eyes hurt me to look at.

"No, Jet, you became the traitor when you stopped protecting innocent people," I hissed. "I trusted you! Katara is right, you have become a monster." I turned away from him and joined Katara at her side. Looking at Aang I asked, "If you will allow it, I would like to join you in your journey." The smile I received from both him and Katara made my spirit lift and Sokka held out his hand to help me up onto Appa. I grasped onto his hand and swung myself up, but began having second thoughts when I saw how high up I was. "I should mention, I'm not a big fan of flying."

"You fly between trees on a daily basis," Sokka laughed.

"But that's only short distances and I'm always an arm's reach away from a branch."

"Well, hold on to something and pretend you're just jumping between trees," he joked, pulling on Appa's reigns. We lifted into the sky and, with a small yelp, I clung to the closest thing possible. In other words, Sokka.

* * *

><p>Author's note: Greetings, people who actually care enough to read these things!<p>

I'm new to the whole posting things for people other than my somewhat delusional friends to read, so feedback is crutial for my mind to not implode from paraniod ramblings about how no one is commenting so they must all hate it. And I want your brutally honest opinion. No fluffy shite. If you think it sucks big blue monkey balls, then tell me it sucks big blue monkey balls!

I believe that is all for now. Stay tuned for more of me rambling about monkey balls and friends that may or may not exist. Considering I can't seem to shake the image of monkey balls, if I did have friends, I probably wouldn't much longer... I'll stop now.


	2. The Great Divide

**Book One:**

**Water  
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**Chapter Eleven:**

**The Great Divide**

Aang, Katara, Sokka, and I sailed lazily through the sky on Appa, Momo taking a near permanent residence on my shoulder. When we landed in a desert clearing, the three of them got to work setting up the campsite, stating that I could just relax until a job was found for me. Aang instinctively flitted away in search of some food and Katara left to collect wood for a fire. Sokka stayed behind and began taking out the poles and canvas for a tent. I hopped down off of Appa and helped him tie down the tent, pulling it into an erect position. The middle sagged tremendously and it looked like a gentle breeze could knock it down, but he seemed satisfied. As Katara came back to the site, I sat down and leaned up against Appa's side, petting him along his belly.

"Um, aren't you forgetting the tarp?" asked Katara, looking at Sokka incredulously. He simply agreed and picked up the tightly rolled tarp, tossing it inside the tent. "The tarp goes on top of the tent, you know, so we don't get rained on."

The two of them continued to bicker and I drowned them out by talking softly to Appa and Momo, who had taken refuge on my shoulder once again. "Ah, sibling rivalries, what can you do but listen and laugh?"

"Whoa, guys, calm down," soothed Aang as he joined the bickering siblings. "Harsh words won't solve problems, action will. Why don't you just switch jobs?" The two, without even thinking, agreed to Aang's words and began working once more. "Settling feuds and making peace, all in a day's work for the Avatar."

The next morning, we took off once again into the sky, but Aang had us stop at the edge of a great canyon of sorts. "Behold, The Great Divide," announced Aang.

I leaned against an enormous boulder off to the side and braced myself against it, looking over the edge at the bottom that seemed miles away. "Bad idea," I muttered to myself, growing dizzy and having to sit down far away from the edge.

"Alright let's go," said Sokka as he walked over to Appa. Katara made a noise of complaint at leaving so soon. "I'm sure we'll have a wonderful view as we're flying over it."

"Hey, if you're looking for the canyon guide, I was here first," stated a man harshly. He charged past Sokka, causing him to lose his balance. The man was dressed in long, pristine cream colored robes and was extremely well groomed. He spoke of how great the canyon guide was and how he and his tribe have to walk thousands of miles to Ba Sing Se because they were driven out of their home by the fire nation.

"You're refugees," exclaimed Katara sympathetically.

"Tell me something I don't know," replied the man, sounding horribly snooty for someone in his predicament. I sat on a boulder at the end of the trail we had taken and watched the short conversation between the four in front of me. Turning to look behind me, I was the first to see a tribe making its way towards us. They were dressed darkly in heavy brown robes and seemed disheveled and dirty. They were a stark contrast to the man in front of us and it was obvious he was not from their tribe. When Katara asked the man about them, he spoke with an air of disgust and said they were called the Zhangs. I snickered softly at the irony of their name as they exited the path through the forest, stopping alongside our group. The pompous man spoke with what seemed to be the leader of the tribe, taunting and insulting the heavy set woman. The arguments continued until a distinct rumble resounded from behind a pile of boulders. They lifted into the air and were flung to the side, revealing what seemed to be the canyon guide. He wore green clothing and a straw hat, shading the eyes that looked out over a bushy, white mustache.

"Who's ready to cross this here canyon?" he asked jovially, unaware of the current scene happening. After a moment, another tribe arrived in robes like the first man and the arguing escalated over who should be permitted to cross first, the Zhangs saying they should because of the sick people they had, and the Gan Jin's saying they should because of their elderly. Finally, Aang settled the long-winded dispute by compromising with the two stubborn tribes. In the end, Appa was to fly the sick and elderly across the canyon and wait on the other side for the two tribes traveling together.

They both reluctantly agreed to the suggestion and started to bring forward those that would go with Appa. With the people sitting securely in the saddle, separated by tribe, Aang patted Appa's head saying that he'd have to go on his own.

"I'll go with him," I said, stepping forward with Sokka.

"We didn't think you'd want to with your fear of flying," replied Katara, brushing the side of Appa's face.

"If it means getting away from the tribes, then I'm all for flying."

"You know, they're not so bad when they're separate," commented Sokka from beside me.

"I don't like taking sides. I prefer neutrality," I said with distinct finality. Hopping up into the saddle, I sent Appa into the sky, flying across the Great Divide with the near silent passengers. The sick from the Zhangs only ever spoke to ask for water or food, too ill to even really care that they shared such a small space with their rivals, and the Gan Jin elders merely whispered amongst themselves taking no notice of the Zhangs. The journey was short and we made the other edge by nightfall with just enough time to make camp before the sun set completely. I helped the dozen or so passengers down from the saddle and prepared small places for each to sleep. They each ate the little they could stomach and slept peacefully through the night, leaving me to myself.

Leaving them behind with Appa snoring contentedly in his sleep, I walked into the forest and flitted into the treetops, looking out upon the expanse of the canyon. Two campfires blazed in the distance, glowing like fireflies, showing that the two tribes had split and taken different routes. I spent the night in the tree, the hooks of my swords gouged into the bark above me, stretched out on a branch closer to the base, my hair serving as a makeshift blanket as I stared up at my canopy of stars. A very light sleep trickled through my mind, not enough to brings dreams. I'm not sure if I was relieved or disappointed. As the sun rose the next morning, I fell from the tree, landing in a crouched position, and proceeded to wake the other travelers, preparing them for the arrival of the tribes and feeding them all.

* * *

><p>With the sun now high in the sky, I could hear a distinct rumble and many yells at the bottom of the canyon wall. Assuming the rumble was the guide earthbending and the yells were cheering to be finally out of the canyon, I sat back and waited for them to emerge from behind the ledge. I didn't get what I had expected.<p>

Multiple creatures that resembled a cross between a beetle and a spider magnified by about a thousand crawled over the edge carrying Aang, Katara, Sokka, and the members of the tribes on their backs. They all jumped from the creatures and Aang sent what I assumed was a sack of food sailing into the air and back into the canyon's depths.

"Well, that was . . . unexpected," I said to Aang as he came to stand beside me.

He rubbed the back of his head and said plainly, "I'll explain later."

At that moment, Sokka ran over and pulled on Aang's sleeve. "We've got a problem." The two tribes fell back into their squabbles and, refusing to get involved, I walked over to Appa and refastened his saddle, leaving the peacemaking to the Avatar. Within minutes, our group was back in the air and getting as far from that canyon as possible.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I really can't stand this chapter and originally wanted to ignore it all together. But, I wanted to stay true to the series, so I just rushed through it and got it done. It's distinctly shorter than the last chapter, so I'll try and make the next one longer. Be sure to review so I get a feel for how people are responding to the story.<p>

The AN on this chapter is noticibly less fun. I blame the flu... and giraffes. Their long necked-ness creeps me out.


	3. The Storm

**Book One:**

**Water**

**Chapter Twelve:**

**The Storm**

As per usual, I woke earlier than the others at our camp. My nights were still plagued by the unknown man, but recently he'd gotten closer. Each time, his face seemed clearer or he turned to face me more. His name was still a complete mystery to me consciously, but he seemed incredibly familiar, like a person I had passed on the street or someone I had known in my distant past. I prayed it to be the former. The dreams had me worried to fall asleep and woke me at insanely early hours, so I was the first to notice Aang thrashing lightly in his sleep. His eyes were shut tightly and his hands were curled into fists, the nails cutting into the sensitive flesh of his palms. I rose to wake him, but before I even touched him, he cried out in his sleep and sat up quickly, wrenching himself from the nightmare he was trapped in. Momo, who had been sleeping by his head, was startled by Aang and leapt across Katara and Sokka, waking them too.

"Did we get captured again?" asked Sokka tiredly.

"It's nothing. Go back to sleep," urged Aang, lying down in the fetal position. Katara stayed sitting up and expressed her obvious concern for the boy and his constant nightmares.

"Do you guys want to hear about my dream?" asked Sokka, suddenly very awake.

Aang and Katara said nothing, but he brushed off the subtle insult. "Maybe in the morning," I said to lighten his mood. "You guys need to get some sleep first." I purposely didn't include myself, knowing no more sleep would come to me that night.

At next morning's light, we broke camp and packed everything on Appa's saddle. "Look at those clear skies, buddy," said Aang from his perch on Appa's head. "Should be some smooth flying."

"We had better smoothly fly ourselves to a market," replied Katara, holding an empty blue bag. "We're out of food." The two of us walked up Appa's tail and joined Aang and Sokka in the saddle. In response to the mention of the market, Sokka went into a short rant about why we can't go. I vaguely heard mention of food eating people after zoning him out and sitting down heavily in the far corner of the saddle. "You still seem pretty tired," said Katara from beside me.

"I didn't sleep well," I said lightly, trying to brush her off.

She seemed horribly persistent and prodded further. "How long have you not been sleeping well?" Giving her a small shrug, she insisted I try to nap on the short trip to the next market. I nodded and proceeded to lay down with my eyes closed, but never let myself drift off. I had woken some nights speaking words I couldn't remember, and I didn't want anyone to know of the things I dreamed.

* * *

><p>Walking aimlessly through the Earth Kingdom market, I gazed out on the open sky, feeling like something was amiss. Katara, Aang, and Sokka stood at a booth filled with fruit, talking with the vendor about what it means when a watermelon sounds "swishy". It was especially funny to watch the woman take the full basket from Sokka when Katara mentioned our lack of money. I joined them on the docks as Katara told Sokka to get a job so we could actually buy the food he picked out as an elderly couple stormed past us bickering at each other.<p>

"We shouldn't go out there. Please, the fish can wait," cried the woman pulling on the man's arm. "There's going to be a terrible storm."

"Ah! You're crazy! It's a nice day, no clouds, no wind, no nothing! Quit your naggin' woman," replied the man. He seemed horribly stubborn and it was obvious he wouldn't relent to her pleading.

"Maybe we should find some shelter," said Aang nervously. Sokka looked into the sky and dismissed Aang's worries immediately, commenting on how clear the sky was.

"My joints say there is going to be a storm!" cried the woman. "A bad one."

"Well, it's your joints against my brain."

"Then, I hope your brain can find someone else to haul that fish, cause I ain't comin'."

"Then I'll find a new fish hauler and pay 'em double what you get. How do you like that?" he asked confrontationally. Sokka, acting as he usually does, stupidly stepped forward, offering his help to the old man. "You're hired."

Aang, Katara, and I stared at him disapprovingly as he defended himself by pointing out that Katara told him to get a job.

Over an hour or so later, Sokka and I were helping the old man load up his fishing boat with the needed supplies as dark storm clouds rolled into the harbor. Aang turned to Sokka as he walked past and voiced his worries over the clouds. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea, look at the sky."

"I said I was gunna do this job, I can't back out because of some bad weather." That statement seemed incredibly wise coming from Sokka, but stupid, none the less.

"The boy with tattoos has some sense," said the woman from before. "You should listen to him."

"Boy with tattoos?" The fisherman turned around to look down at Aang. "Airbender tattoos. Well, I'll be a hogmonkey's uncle, you're the Avatar." Aang nodded once with a small smile on his lips. "Well, don't be so smiley about it. The Avatar disappeared for a hundred years. You turned your back on the world." I sat on the edge of the boat, watching as Katara stepped forward to defend Aang from the man's harsh words. "I guess I must have imagined the last hundred years of war and suffering."

"Aang is the bravest person I know. He has done nothing but help people and save lives since I met him," she argued, as I watched Aang back away from them slowly. I moved from my perch on the boat and stood on the edge of the dock, wary of what would happen. "It's not his fault he disappeared, right Aang?"

At her question, Aang opened his glider and took off into the sky. "That's right, keep flying!" shouted the man.

"You're a horrible old man," Katara yelled in return, before running to Appa and taking off after Aang.

At that moment, Sokka came up from below deck and found the dock empty other than me and the old man. "Hey, they left without saying goodbye." The man made a comment about them not being polite and it took all my will not to smack him. The man walked towards the door to the lower level of the boat and pulled Sokka along by his collar. I turned to follow them and the man began spouting about not allowing women on his boat.

"And what does that make your wife?" I asked sarcastically.

"My wife," he stressed, waving his hand dimissively for me to follow. "Why would a girl so young and... dainty want to come with two men on a fishing boat?"

Taking both swords from the scabbard on my back, I pressed one curved edge to the man's throat and the other to his belly. He yelped at the sudden danger and backed away a step. "Now who's dainty? My number one priority is protecting the Avatar and his friends. Aang and Katara are together, and, as long as they find shelter, they'll be fine, but there is no way I am letting Sokka go out alone into that," I explained, pulling back the sword from his throat and gesturing towards the angry, black clouds that rolled and tumbled in the not far off distance.

"Fine," relented the man, still shaken from my way of making a point, "but tie your hair back so it won't get caught on anything." I nodded once and sheathed my swords, pulling my hair back into a loose braid and tying the end. The three of us proceeded to leave the docks and made our way out to the open ocean, heading straight into the clouds.

I spent much of the time in the crow's nest, watching for lightening. As the waves grew higher and the winds grew harsher, I jumped from the helm and stood with Sokka, bracing for the worst. "I'm too young to die," cried Sokka, clinging to a rope to brace himself.

"I'm not, but I still don't wanna," the man replied, as the boat took a tremendous dive among the waves. I lost my footing and nearly fell off the side, clinging almost helplessly to the hull. A wave washed up against the side and slopped over me, my grip slipping off the wood. The force of it pulled me over and into the ocean, out of sight of Sokka and the old man. With the waves crashing around me, I could barely make out the sight of Aang and Katara riding above us on Appa. The two pulled Sokka and the fisherman to safety, but I remained unseen by the four of them. Knowing I wouldn't be found, I swam as far from the fishing boat as possible and watched as another great wave pulled Appa and everyone under the surface while the force of it demolished the boat. Moments later, an orb of glowing blue rose from the water beside a warship I hadn't noticed before. A shout rang out through the quiet in the eye of the storm and a dark figure dove off the side of the ship, swimming towards me.

"Thank the spirits," I whispered softly, nearly overjoyed at the prospect of being saved. The figure swam through the water with an obvious grace, even with the waves crashing against him. When he reached for me, I clung solidly to his form, exausted from my own battle with the waves. He dragged me along with him back towards the ship, which I realized flew a red flag emblazoned with a black flame. I was being taken to a ship filled with Fire Navy soldiers, and it was the only option other than death. As we neared the hull, a rope was dropped over the side for us the climb. The man wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and clasped the rope tightly in his hands, the other men on board pulling us up together. We both flopped heavily onto the deck, laying in a pool of salt water. Few of the soldiers raced forward to tend to my savior, obviously the commander of the ship, but he pushed them away and sat up, looking down at me, checking for any obvious wounds. Finding none, he leaned forward and pulled the stray strands of hair away from my eyes. His face hovered above mine, and I turned to look into two amber eyes with different frames. An angry red scar marred the skin around his left eye and in that moment I remembered the boy from my dreams. "Are you alright?" he asked as the world faded and turned black.

* * *

><p>OI! READ THIS!<p>

So, I haven't updated in awhile, and I apologize, kinda. I've been really scattered recently with different story ideas. I've currently got this one, a psych/mentalist crossover that only one person has reviewed (hint, hint), and I've been working on multiple other things that refuse to let me concentrate.

So, in remedy of that, I'll give them some attention. As a review or whatever, send me your vote on which story to start posting here.

Harry Potter & Twilight crossover between an OC and Jasper (it's far more complicated than it seems)

-OR-

Harry Potter between OC and Draco (also far more complicated)

P.S. The next chapter of the show is The Blue Spirit but because of where this one stops, I'm just continuing on with the timeline. I refuse to just skip straight to the encounter with Zhao, because, let's be honest, we gotta have some Zuko/Kya interaction to throw into the mix.


	4. The Blue Spirit

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I am up to no theft.

Book One:

Water

Chapter Thirteen:

The Blue Spirit

I awoke on a metal table, the sound of footsteps echoing off the walls of a small room. It was a man muttering to himself softly and pacing back and forth. When consciousness flooded my thoughts, my immediate impulse was to get up and run, but that would have brought too much attention. My instincts kicked in and told me to wait for the person to leave before making any movement, but that was easier said than done. Keeping my breathing steady was difficult and the sudden urge to itch my nose was murder. The door to the room opened and someone entered, hurriedly telling the other person in the room that one of the soldiers burned himself badly in the engine room and needed medical attention. They both left, the door slamming shut behind them, and I jumped from the table, collapsing back against it when my legs proved unstable. I scanned the small room, and, after not finding my swords, I retested my legs and hobbled towards the door, quickly regaining feeling in them.

Slipping out the door, I crept silently through many identical hallways, openly praising the soft soled boots I wore, ducking into rooms when a soldier drew near. I scanned each room briefly, hoping to come across my swords, but many were different storerooms or crew's quarters, luckily always void of people. I had climbed up a level and ducked inside another room as heavy footsteps echoed from an adjacent hall. It was two female guards gossiping about their commander's new prisoner: me.

"There were pieces of a fishing boat in the water. The General says she must have been on it when the storm rolled in," said the first, sounding mildly excited about the news.

"She's no doubt Earth Kingdom, therefore, not worth our time."

"Don't even try to tell me you're not excited to have another woman on board." The two of them continued down the hall bickering like old women, and I relaxed slightly, finally glancing behind me at the room I was in, silently cursing myself for not checking if it was empty while the women passed. To my tremendous luck, it was and my swords were leaning against the far wall. Sitting down on the edge of the bed to rest, I strapped the scabbard to my back and sprinted out of the room. Coming across a narrow flight of stairs with a heavy metal door at the top, I flitted up and out, coming out onto the main deck that was bathed in blinding sunlight.

From my right came a great blast of fire that caught me off guard, forcing me sideways and off balance. I fell to my hands and knees as a man pulled me up by the back of my bodice. In front of me were two men, the one who had pulled me from the water during the storm and a shorter man with a bulbous belly and an easy smile. "Who are you?" asked the younger one harshly, stepping forward with a grimace on his face. "I asked you a question, peasant."

"Prince Zuko, that is no way to speak to a lady." The shorter man stepped forward and pulled my hand into both of his, shaking it warmly. "What is your name, child?"

Through my bangs, I looked into the man's eyes and timidly whispered, "Tana. Where is my father?"

They both looked at me with blank stares with no possible answer. It was fun to see them squirm for an answer. "I'm sorry, child," began the larger man. "I'm afraid he was lost at sea." I let fake tears well up into my eyes and dropped my head and shoulders. The man stepped forward and placed his arms around me in comfort, he was warm and soft and I couldn't help but melt a little. So what if he was Fire Nation, he was comfy.

"Come, Tana, you must eat." He turned me back towards the doorway from which I had come and lead me down to the kitchens where I was fed to bursting. Over the following few days I was treated like a princess by Iroh, a nuisance by Zuko, and ignored by the crew. I rather liked it.

* * *

><p>Zuko was a mystery, and with him ignoring me, I had ample opportunity to scrutinize him. He was harsh and cruel. He yelled a lot and always had a scowl on his face. But even having only met him days before, I could see something deeper. Like a faded portrait on a temple wall that had been painted over and restored. There was a ghost of days past in his eyes that seemed to call to me, screaming quietly for me to see whatever I keep just barely missing. It was the shadow in the corner of your eye that vanishes the second you look for it.<p>

"Uncle, where is the Earth Kingdom girl?" Prince Zuko's voice rang from the ship's deck below me, a disembodied snarl mingling with the wind. I was up out of sight in the crow's nest contemplating where Aang and the others might be at that moment. They had left so quickly during the storm, I didn't even know if they were alright.

"Tana is not to be found Prince Zuko. Why do you seek her companionship?" Uncle's words held an obvious smile even from out of sight. He had been hinting for me to speak with the Hot-Head for two days now.

"I do not seek her companionship," he said with a sneer. "I have some questions to ask her about who she is. We still know nothing about this strange girl that seems to enjoy wondering around my ship."

"She is a young Earth Kingdom child who just lost her father at sea. That is all we need know." Zuko stormed off after that, spouting huge plumes of flame into the air before disappearing below decks. "You can come out now, Tana."

Swinging my way from the mast, I landed softly on the deck facing Iroh. "How do you always know where I am?" His only response was a smile and a light chuckle. He gestured me to his small table and we sat down for a game of Pai Sho. As our game wore on, he tried getting me to talk about my past and answer the questions Zuko had for me. The lies came quickly and easily, but it felt wrong to lie to Iroh. He had taken me in so willingly that it felt like lying to my own father. I could imagine Iroh as my father. Of course, having no recollection of my parents made it easy. I had no one to compare him to.

"It is curious," Iroh began, breaking me from my thoughts. "Either your acting skills have improved since I last saw you or you do not remember."

I had no words. Lucky for me, another ship sailed up alongside ours, towering at twice our size and casting the deck into shadow. A burly man in black and red armor climbed swiftly down a ladder as Zuko came back from the lower levels. They argued briefly while Iroh and I sat listening, drinking steaming tea. If I had been shocked before, it was nothing compared to what I felt after their conversation.

They spoke of the Avatar. The man from the larger ship, Zhao, was hunting Aang and forbade Zuko from pursuing him. I was livid. Aang was my responsibility. It was my duty to protect the Avatar, and this creature was threatening his safety. I had been away from him too long and he was in danger.

It was two days later that word got to us about Aang's capture. Zhao was holding him prisoner in the Pohuai Stronghold, and it was my duty to free him. After nightfall, I snuck my way quickly down to the boat storage, wearing a set of black clothes I had lifted from Zuko's room and my hooked swords strung across my back. Imagine my surprise when I got there to find Zuko leaning against a boat dressed in black and holding two blue masks. He threw one to me and turned to untie the boat. Without a word, we lowered it into the water and swiftly made our way to shore.

* * *

><p>The Pohuai Stronghold was completely surrounded by guards, the walls lined with Yu Yan Archers. With a little help from a covered wagon, we were able to sneak inside and dash up a flight of stairs to begin our search for Aang's holding cell. Using the sewer routes, we made our way through until we found the correct corridor. Of the four guards outside his cell, first came one, then two more, until the last was brought down. They never stood a chance. We burst through the door and smashed the chains binding Aang's wrists.<p>

"Who are you? What's going on? Are you here to rescue me?" With the masks, he had no idea who we were and fired off his questions with no pause. Remaining in silence, we gestured with our swords for him to follow. "I'll take that as a yes." As we passed the groaning guards, Aang noticed the half-frozen frogs still trying to escape and tried to collect them back up. He claimed he needed them for Katara and Sokka, but there was no time to waste. We needed out of there as soon as possible.

Back in the sewer pipes, we began our escape. Pushing Aang forward to climb up the first wall, all hell broke loose as an alarm rang out, sending the guards into action against us. "Stay close to me," Aang called as he sent a blast of air at a line of guards. It was a battle of swords for Zuko and me. We stood back to back, fighting off the men, cutting them down when possible. With Aang's airbending, we were able to ascend to the second wall with only one left.

Bamboo ladders were placed against the wall, Fire Nation soldiers climbing swiftly to take us down. Using the ladders as stilts, Aang was able to maneuver them into carrying us the distance between the second and outermost wall. But before we could reach it, a soldier sent a blast of fire up the last ladder, forcing us to abandon it too quickly. Without a strong hold on the edge, we fell to the ground in a heap. In the confusion of the fall, it wasn't until Zuko's swords were at Aang's throat that I became aware of the soldiers surrounding us. With Aang's life being threatened, Zhao ordered us through the gate.

Zuko kept Aang facing the stronghold as a shield while we both backed up quickly, heading for the tree line. I wasn't prepared when the arrow hit Zuko's mask and sent him flying into me. We fell to the ground, Zuko half laying in my lap. Aang quickly kicked up a cloud of dust for cover, and before I could stop him, he pulled the mask away from Zuko's face. With a gasp, he took off running.

"Aang, stop." He paused and turned, his shoulders tense. "I can't lift him on my own." I removed my mask and looked up at Aang with pleading eyes. Zuko might have been a right pain in the ass, but no one deserved being left for Zhao. We were gone before the dust had a chance to settle.

* * *

><p>We spent the night deep inside the forest, not talking until the sun began to rise. Aang barely slept while I stayed up, ready and alert for any possible attack. Really, I just didn't want to dream.<p>

"Why are you with him, Kya?" Aang was crouched low at the base of a tree, looking down at Zuko's unconscious body.

"He pulled me from the water during that storm. After the fishing boat broke apart, you all flew away on Appa. His ship was the only way for me to survive."

"I'm so sorry, Kya. We should have stayed longer to find you. We shouldn't have left you there. I -"

"Stop. You were right to find shelter. Your safety is what is important. Without you, this war is already lost." Aang sat silently after that. He was staring off in the distance, occasionally glancing at Zuko. "What are you thinking?"

"Do you know what the worst part about being born over a hundred years ago is? I miss all the friends I used to hang out with. Before the war started, I used to always visit my friend Kuzon. The two of us, we'd get in and out of so much trouble together. He was one of the best friends I ever had, and he was from the Fire Nation, just like you." Aang looked down at Zuko, his eyes now open and staring up at Aang. "If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?"

After a beat of peaceful silence, Zuko ruined the moment by sending a blast of fire in Aang's direction. Aang took off immediately, no doubt heading back to Sokka and Katara.

"So, that'd be a no on the whole friends with the Avatar thing," I mocked from my perch on a low hanging branch. We collected our things in silence and made our way back to the vessel we used to get to shore. In less than an hour, we were back on the ship, Iroh sitting at his little table with a tsungi horn around his neck saying how we missed music night.

"I'm going to bed. No disturbances," he said curtly, tiredly rubbing at his forehead. With a sigh, I pulled up a second chair at Iroh's table and fiddled with the ruby eyed monkey statue on its surface.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Took me forever to get this one out. Not my best work, but it's passable. I'm getting ready to graduate, so last minute projects and finals are taking up most of my time. Once school ends officially, I'll try getting into a better rhythm with updating. I'll also have time to look into posting some of my other stories under different genres and things.<p> 


	5. Bato of the Water Tribe

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I am up to no theft

Book One:

Water

Chapter Fifteen:

Bato of the Water Tribe

We had been sailing for days with no sign of land in any direction. I spent most of my time in the crow's nest praying for solid ground to appear miraculously. The only things to break the monotony were Zuko's bursts of yelling and tea or pai sho with Iroh. The time we spent together was calm and surprisingly enjoyable. Well, it was until Iroh asked me about the Avatar. Iroh, Zuko, and I had been in silent agreement to not mention the events of that night, and I had hoped it had included everything to do with Aang. I guess not.

"What is your attachment to the Avatar, young one?" he asked pleasantly, taking a quiet sip of tea. He had not called me Tana since before rescuing Aang from Zhao. He smiled expectantly with a small twinkle in his eye. The bastard.

"I was merely accompanying him in his travels. Three children should not travel alone. We live in a dangerous world."

He chuckled softly at me. "You call them children, and yet, you yourself are no older than the Water Tribe boy." I couldn't help but scoff at that. Age had nothing to do with it. "My nephew thinks they are headed North for a water bending teacher. Is he correct?"

"Yes. Aang and Katara are in need of a Master to teach them." Taking a sip of tea from my cup, I gazed up at Iroh warily, silently willing him not to say it.

"Why don't you teach them?" My eyes dropped closed. Thankfully there was no one else on deck to hear him imply such lies.

"Iroh, you know I can't bend. That's why I have my hook swords," I muttered into my cup, refusing to look up. Placing the cup on the table, I placed my hands firmly on the wooden surface and pushed myself to my feet. The walk to my quarters was shaky and painful. Two days after being brought aboard, I was given a set of living quarters across from Zuko's, his claim being to keep an eye on me. It was surprising enough to be allowed to stay, but it was truly a shock to have assimilated so well into the crew. It turned my stomach to think about.

As a sign of respect, Iroh had everything with a Fire Nation insignia removed from my room. The banner was removed from the wall, and the red sheets and candles were replaced with a set of generic white. It was boring but tolerable. Lying out across the rumpled bed, I stared at the ceiling as the candle light threw shadows across it, tricking my eyes into seeing glimpses of a face or animals. It was soothing and slowly sent me into a gentle slumber. No longer were my dreams filled with searching through a dense forest only to not find the thing I so desperately wanted. The boy I had seen so many times was no longer present, his face a continuing mystery. The frustration nearly killed me when I found myself dreaming of something utterly mundane. I was merely playing pai sho with Iroh as Zuko stormed about the deck fuming about one thing or another. It made me want to scream and pull out my hair, having gotten so close and then be denied.

* * *

><p>I was ready to scream and start tearing up the ship from the sheer monotony that had befallen our journey. We had finally made it to an Earth Kingdom dock, but I found out quickly how mundane it was. I just couldn't catch a break. It was midday, and Iroh, Zuko, and I were drinking tea in a dark room just off of the main deck.<p>

"A moment of quiet is good for your mental well being," said Iroh, pouring Zuko his cup. I rolled my eyes thinking of how quiet was the only thing we had on the ship in more than a week. It was both relieving and startling when a great crash sounded from outside. We rushed from the room to find a great creature climbing over the railing of the ship with a woman riding it like an ostrich horse.

"Get back!" the woman cried. "We're after a stowaway." Zuko, still walking forward, denied the accusation. Ignoring him, the woman beckoned the beast forward as it ripped up a section on metal from the deck using its teeth. I couldn't help but think of the irony that I had been thinking of doing the exact same thing only moments before. The huge creature stuck its nose into the hole it had created before a dirty, tattered Earth Kingdom man dashed out and across the deck. The creature's tongue shot out of its mouth and licked the man across his neck. He froze mid-run and dropped to the floor.

"He's paralyzed." Leave it to Zuko to state the obvious.

"Only temporarily," said the woman, moving forward and collecting the man on the ground. She carried him away, tying him to the back of the beast. "The toxins will wear off in about an hour. But by then he'll be in jail, and I'll have my money."

"But how did you find him on my ship?"

"A shirshu can smell a rat a continent away," I stated, stepping forward and gently stroking its fur. I was no threat to it, and I was confident it would not attack me. Stepping back, I let them go, the woman directing her companion off the ship.

"I'm impressed," stated Iroh plainly. That made two of us.

* * *

><p>"Out of my way, filth." Zuko was always so polite, wasn't he? The three of us had tracked the woman to a seedy looking bar. The shirshu was asleep outside and only looked up when a man burst through the wall above the door. Whoever threw him certainly had a good arm. Zuko and Iroh had gone into the bar to speak with the woman about acquiring her services to search for Aang. I decided to wait outside with the shirshu as Zuko tried convincing her that she owed him for the damages to his ship. I sat down beside it and began petting the thick fur across its belly.<p>

"Well, if it isn't my new friends, Angry Boy and Uncle Lazy." The woman's voice drifted out through the open doorway as I scratched the shirshu's belly. "Where's your girlfriend at?"

"Outside," Zuko responded, adding as an afterthought, "and she's not my girlfriend." Smooth, real smooth.

"I'd love to help you with the repairs but I'm a little short on money. Drinks on me!" I couldn't help but laugh at her antics.

"You know what," I started, speaking to the shirshu, "I'm starting to really like your master."

I could hear their footsteps making their way to the door as Zuko explained, "I need you to find someone." He was holding up a necklace made of blue ribbon with a jewel attached to the center. The jewel had been carved with the symbol for water bending.

"Nyla can find anyone. You're dating a water tribe girl?"

"She's not my girlfriend either. It's not the girl I'm after; it's the bald monk she's traveling with."

"Whatever catches your fancy." The woman June walked over to Nyla and petted her back, beckoning her to stand. I climbed to my feet as well, standing at June's side.

"You find them, I'll consider the damage paid for."

"Forget it." June was prepping Nyla to start moving again, wanting to leave us behind.

Iroh stepped forward suddenly, seeming desperate for her to stay. "Plus, we'll pay your weight in gold."

"Make it your weight, and we've got a deal." Iroh laughed and agreed. "Get on," she commanded, snatching the necklace from Zuko's hand. She briefly waved it in front of Nyla's nose and climbed on in front of us before we took off running.

We traveled through the night and came to a small pristine village, the people all walking around with slightly dazed smiles on their faces. A man strolling passed, stopped and looked up at us. "Are you here to see Aunt Wu?"

"Who's that?" asked June gruffly.

"She is a fortuneteller."

Leaning over, I addressed June. "Maybe this Aunt Wu character knows where the Avatar is." June agreed and suggested I go speak with her quickly.

Having sat on the back behind Zuko, I easily slid down Nyla's tail and made my way towards the doorway the man had gestured to. An older woman met me just inside the door with a smile. "Aunt Wu, I presume."

"Yes child, what is it you wish to know?"

I thought briefly of Aang and shook my head. "There was a boy in my dreams. I dreamt of him every night and suddenly he's gone. I know I was being led to him, so why have the dreams suddenly stopped?"

She smiled softly at me for a moment and gestured for me to follow her. We walked back outside and stood in front of her shop. "Your dreams were leading you to him. If they have stopped, then you have already found him." She bowed her head and swung her arm out in dismissal.

I glared at her for a moment and asked through clenched teeth, "are you implying that Zuko…" I couldn't finish the question.

"Yes."

"I hate you." I stomped away from the mad woman and went to climb back onto Nyla. Zuko held out his hand to help me up, and I stared at it angrily. Finally taking hold, he swung me up into place for me to sit.

"Did she say anything?" he asked.

"Nothing of importance." June huffed impatiently and sent us back into motion quickly. I hadn't expected the sudden lurch and had to cling tightly to Zuko in order to not fall off. He laughed softly at me and I yelled back, "shut up. It's hard staying on this thing without a proper saddle."

Within minutes, we were racing through an abbey filled with nuns mixing large vats of liquid. They all looked up at us frightened, but we passed straight through, June stating that we were getting closer. On a foot path through the woods, we found Sokka and Katara walking alone.

From in front of us June joked, "so this is your girlfriend. No wonder she left. She's way too pretty for you."

"Enough with the girlfriend jokes!" I yelled jumping from Nyla's back and joining Zuko on the ground.

"Where is he? Where is the Avatar?" Zuko was confused and enraged, not a good combination.

"We split up. He's long gone," Sokka responded, looking over at me with confusion. I shook my head discreetly for him not to bring attention to my being there.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Zuko asked incredulously.

"Not a smart thing to ask."

"Pretty stupid." Sokka looked at Katara and yelled, "run!" They didn't get far before Nyla lashed out with her tongue. The two dropped to the ground.

"Now what?" Zuko asked in anger. June pointed to the two on the ground and pointed out a map that had fallen from Sokka's bag. Aang's scent was on it, and Nyla now had something else to follow. Zuko and I pulled Sokka and Katara onto Nyla's back and climbed aboard, holding on tightly as we traveled through the trees back to the abbey. We burst back through the gates only to have Nyla start walking in circles. She suddenly reared up as Aang swooped out of the sky, dumping us all from her back. June recovered first and leapt into action, trying to get Nyla to attack Aang. But Appa was quicker, and rammed into their side, sending them into a wall.

Zuko, seizing the opportunity, leapt to his feet and engaged Aang in a short lived battle of air and fire. As they went back and forth, Nyla regained her footing and began attacking Appa, before suddenly charging at Aang. Appa regained her focus quickly, letting Aang and Zuko resume their battle undisturbed. The two were now poised at the lip of a well in the center of the courtyard, their kicks and punches turning the battle into a sort of dance. With a graceful twirl midair, Aang snatched the necklace from Zuko's grasp and dived into the well. Zuko stood at the edge, ready to send a fire blast down the well, when a great torrent of water shot from its depths, knocking Zuko to the ground. Nyla finally got the upper hand on Appa after striking him numerous times with her tongue.

As both battles had waged, I had stood to the side with Iroh as he riffled through the different perfume bottles. Glancing to the side, I watched at Mother Superior roused both Katara and Sokka with a bottle of perfume. They spoke briefly before dashing to the vats of perfume, sending them toppling, the contents spilling across the courtyard. I ran over to help dump more as Nyla flew into a frenzy, striking out at everyone, landing venom on a few unfortunate nuns, June, and Zuko. The perfume having roused Appa, we jumped up into his saddle and flew far from the abbey.

* * *

><p>Manning the reins, Aang turned to Sokka and Katara asking where we were headed. "North Pole," Sokka responded with a smile.<p>

"What about your father?" I had obviously missed something important while I was gone.

"Of course we want to go see him again, but we decided helping you was more important." Sokka smiled warmly and then turned to me, the smile falling away. "So, Aang told us you were with Zuko, but we didn't think you'd be helping him hunt us."

"I wasn't. After we saved Aang from Zhao," I began, stressing that point, "I elected to stay behind with Zuko. He was injured and couldn't be left alone. I was confident you would be safe on your own until Zuko caught up to you again. In no way am I aiding him in his hunt for the Avatar."

"Why did you leave with us now?" Katara was mildly suspicious of my intentions, and I couldn't blame her. I had spent the last two weeks on a Fire Nation ship belonging to the Prince. It didn't look good.

"My first priority is the protection of the Avatar." My words rang with finality, and they did not question me further. I turned away and looked back towards the abbey, thinking of Aunt Wu's words.

* * *

><p>I know it's been forever since my last update, and I apologize for that. Quick point I need to make. I am very much aware that June, Zuko, and Iroh did not pass through the village with Aunt Wu. The clip with the herbalist and Miyuki is funny, but I don't like it. They were supposed to be following Katara's scent and Katara never visited the Herbalist, she and Sokka were in the ruins of Taku the entire time Aang was gone. The reason I sent them to Aunt Wu should be fairly obvious. I needed that scene between her and TanaKya for some foreshadowing. Also, I'm sorry if anyone is disappointed that I skipped The Fortuneteller as a chapter. It didn't fit into the plot I have going, so deal with it.


	6. The Deserter

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I am up to no theft

Book One:

Water

Chapter Sixteen:

The Deserter

We had been flying for two days before deciding to take our chances with a walk in the woods. Last time the others had chosen to walk instead of fly, they had run across a small fleet of Fire Nation soldiers. But that had worked out in the end, having joined their path with that of mine. The woods were dense and foreboding and I couldn't feel more at home. It had been years since I felt like that and couldn't help but want to stay.

"Kya." Sokka had been walking at my side for the last mile or so, obviously trying to build up the courage to ask me something. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask. What's with the clothes?" Not what I'd expected.

Two days after being pulled onto Zuko's ship, it became apparent that I needed new clothes. My green and brown pants, shirt, and bodice had become tattered from the storm and were too stiff from wearing them so long. Iroh had soon taken pity on me and tracked down new clothes. Of course, being on a Fire Nation ship meant the clothes he brought me were all of that style. The skirt was a traditional triangle of cloth wrapped around the hips, leaving the point in the back to occasionally brush against the back of my legs. The lack of full pants was infuriating but manageable. The part I hated the most was the shirt, or lack thereof. The strap connected at the front and wrapped around the back of my neck to keep it up. But it was cut short across the torso, leaving my stomach bare. The only consolation was the vest I had been given that helped cover the skin I had never before shown. The only thing I had left of my old clothes was my pair of knee-high boots I had bought in Gaipan when I first met Jet. My hook swords were my only other comfort, each guard at the hilt hooked firmly into a thick loop that was sewn onto either side of my leather belt.

"Just consider it a disguise." My glare was threat enough to never ask about them again. I sped up slightly as Aang and Katara came to a stop in front of a thick podium, a large poster covering the surface.

"Fire Days Festival," Katara said with interest.

Sokka walked to the side and asked with his stomach grumbling, "See if you can find a menu. I'm starving."

"I'm sure we'll find food here," Aang said excitedly. He gazed fixedly at the poster reading down the list of attractions for the festival. "Fire Nation cultural exhibits, jugglers, benders, magicians. This will be a great place for me to study some fire benders."

"Yeah, because jugglers and magicians are known to all be fire bending masters." I nodded my head sarcastically as I walked around the side of the pillar to join Sokka.

"You might want to rethink going. Look at this." Sokka was pointing at a wanted poster of Aang placed in the center of three others. I couldn't help but snicker at the poster for the Blue Spirit. After Aang had pulled down his, I reached up and tore down the Blue Spirit. The script next to the picture stated that there were two individuals posing as the spirit wreaking havoc in the Fire Nation strongholds. Anyone possessing a copy of the mask was to be reported and questioned. Luckily, both copies were hidden away on Zuko's ship.

Katara was looking worriedly at the poster of Aang. "I think we'd better keep moving."

Aang's disappointment was plain on his face. "I have to learn fire bending at some point, and this could be my only chance to see a master up close." I only barely managed to stifle my snort and mask it as a cough. My amusement quickly turned to mild shock when Katara agreed to go.

Sokka was the first to voice his protests. "You want to walk into a Fire Nation town where they're all fired up on their, ya know, fire?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Sokka. We shouldn't go down there." Sokka went from shocked to flattered to offended in quick succession.

"We'll wear disguises," stated Katara.

"And Kya's already dressed for it," added Aang excitedly.

"And if it looks like trouble, we'll leave." Katara smiled and walked back towards Appa with Aang at her side.

Sokka laughed once and said, "Yeah, because we always leave before we get in trouble."

I couldn't help but think that this was going to be a very long night.

* * *

><p>We left Appa and Momo at the edge of the forest and told them to stay out of sight. It was quite amusing when Appa tried hiding behind a bush tall enough to barely cover his face. Before turning to leave, Sokka and Katara slipped on black shawls and flipped up the hoods to hide their faces. Aang on the other hand merely pulled his cape up over his head, hunching his shoulders in the process.<p>

"It's like you're a whole different person," Sokka said sarcastically. Shaking my head, I lead the way down the hill and towards the brightly lit town. Entering through the grand arches, we emerged onto a street alive with excitement, bursting with color and laughter. The three were looking around at the many people while I walked over to a cart set up with ceremonial masks.

"I think we need some new disguises." I could hear the soft question in Katara's voice as she looked around at the hidden faces.

"Where are we going to get masks like that?" I picked up the nearest mask and threw it towards Sokka as the vendor announced his product loudly across the street. "That was surprisingly easy… and painful." Sokka picked up the mask I threw at him, putting it on and laughing at his reflection. The mask was blue with a wide, comical smile, the edged lined with straw for hair, resembling the burning rays of the sun. Katara and Aang each picked up a mask, Aang's a near opposite of Sokka's with a frowning face and red and yellow and Katara's a caricature of a woman's painted face wearing a traditional hat with tassels. I chose a red mask with gold sequins that covered only the top half of my face, the top edge over the left eye stretching up like tendrils of flame.

The three of them had turned around to face me, and glancing at them, Katara and I each grabbed the masks from Aang and Sokka and switched them. "Much better," I mused with a smile. We then made our way further in to the festival and Aang pointed out the first booth he saw with food, Sokka rushing forward. He was handed a bag of Flaming Fire Flakes and immediately started shoveling them into his mouth.

I merely laughed as he screamed about the heat and began scraping his tongue. I grabbed a few from the bag and popped them into my mouth. I hadn't had a proper Fire Flake in years and paid the man for the rest of the bag, munching on them slowly as we wandered over to watch the beginning of a puppet show. It showed a puppet of Fire Lord Ozai frying an Earth Kingdom soldier that was sneaking up on him. The reaction of the children was both expected and sickening. We quickly turned away and walked over to a larger stage with a decent crowd gathered along the edge.

The show turned out to be a Fire Bending Magician showing off to make it look like the flame turned into doves. He stepped up to the edge of the stage and looked out into the crowd, gesturing widely with his arms. "For my next trick, I will need a volunteer from the audience." Aang began jumping up and down with his hand raised, eager to be picked.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sokka asked in an incredulous whisper.

"I want to get a better look," Aang reasoned, trying to pull away from the water tribe siblings. I was stood slightly to the side watching them bicker.

"How about you two lovely ladies?" The man on stage was pointing straight at me and Katara. A man came forward from behind us and tried to push us forward. I was having none of that. With my heels dug into the ground, I elbowed the man and gave Katara a shove towards the stage. "Better you, than me," I said to her laughing. The man grabbed onto her wrist and pulled her up onto the stage, setting her down in a chair center stage.

"This next trick is called Taming the Dragon. You will be my captured princess," he said animatedly as he tied her with a red cloth he pulled from his sleeve. Using the flame from the four torches around the stage, he pulled them into one flaming mass. "Do not worry, young maiden, I will tame this beast." There was a single band of fire connecting his hand to the neck of the dragon as it circled the edge of the stage. "It's too strong, I can't hold it."

"We gotta help her," cried Aang, leaning forward to jump onto the stage. Sokka pressed a hand to Aang's chest to keep him on the ground, but neither of us could stop him when the magician claimed that the fire rope was breaking. The flame died and the dragon began to dive at Katara, Aang leaping onto the stage. He created a great tunnel of wind and dissolved the dragon in a haze of confetti. In panic, Sokka leaped onto the stage to untie Katara as Aang began dancing in embarrassment.

"Hey! That kid's the Avatar!"

"Time to go!" I yelled, pulling myself onto the stage with the others as Fire Nation soldiers began pushing their way through the crowd towards us.

"Follow me. I can get you out of here." A man was waving to us impatiently to follow him behind the break in the stage. We darted after him as the soldiers began clamoring onto the stage. The five of us ran through the festival streets, more and more soldiers joining in on the chase. Aang pulled out his whistle and quickly called for Appa. We turned a corner and found ourselves headed off by soldiers. The man threw what turned out to be a small bomb at them as we turned another corner. This alley came to a dead end, leaving us trapped. Just as we were getting boxed in by the soldiers, Appa fell from the sky and picked us up, dashing back into the air without fault. The man took another small bomb from within his robes and tossed it into a gated off section of fireworks ready to blow. The resulting show was quite beautiful considering the events preceding it.

"Nice touch, setting off the fireworks," said Aang appreciatively, his hands tightly grasping Appa's reins.

Sokka nodded in agreement stating, "You seem to really know your explosives."

"Let me guess, former Fire Nation soldier," I drawled as we touched down and made camp in the woods.

"My name is Chey. I serve a man, well, he's more of a myth. But he's real. He's a living legend, Joung Joung the Deserter."

"Admiral in the Fire Nation Army who turned his back on his people having grown tired of all the death he had helped cause." I was staring directly into the campfire, watching as the logs cracked and split, sending embers shooting into the sky.

"How do you know that?" Sokka asked.

"I hear things."

"She's right though," said Chey, his voice growing quick with excitement. "He's a Fire Bending genius. Some call him mad, but he's not. He's enlightened."

"You mean there's a Fire Bender out here who's not with the Fire Lord?" Aang was beyond excited. "We've got to go see him. He can train me."

"We're not gunna go find some crazy fire bender," Sokka said incredulously.

"He's not crazy!" Chey and I had both stood up and yelled in Joung Joung's defense. I quickly sat back down as Chey continued. "He's the perfect person to train you. That's why I followed you into the festival."

Sokka was quickly protesting going to meet Joung Joung, stating that we'd be leaving first thing in the morning. Just as he moved to walk away, men dropped from the trees around us and placed a spear at each of our throats. The leader of the men ordered us to move, and we marched through the woods for the next hour, following a half hidden path between the trees. Finally, we came to the edge of the forest and were led into a small hut built at the top of a hill that led down to another hut built on rocks at the edge of the river. Chey was ordered to the hut down on the river, Joung Joung supposedly waiting to speak with him.

When Chey finally returned, he looked defeated, telling Aang that Joung Joung was angry that he brought the Avatar to him. Chey talked about how Joung Joung would not teach Aang because he was not ready. He refused to teach Aang fire bending before he learned water and earth.

Aang was furious. "I'm going in anyway."

* * *

><p>The next morning dawned and Aang was at the river's bank with Joung Joung, being taught the beginning fundamentals of Fire Bending. He was bored within two minutes, and the yelling from Joung Joung about his lack of concentration was not helping. Their second session found Aang balanced on a towering rock practicing the correct motions of breathing. I was sitting with Joung Joung in his hut drinking tea when Aang burst through the doorway complaining about being left there for hours doing things he already understood.<p>

"I had a pupil once who had no interest in learning discipline. He was only concerned with the power of fire, how he could use it to destroy his opponents and wipe out the obstacles in his path. But fire is a horrible burden to bear. Its nature is to consume, and without control destroys everything around it. Learn restraint or risk destroying everything you love."

Aang understood that he was dismissed and walked from the hut in silence. "A little harsh, don't you think?" I asked, trying to release some of the tension in the air.

"He refuses to see the world as it truly is. I am merely trying to show him the truth."

"Speaking of the truth, what convinced you to train him? Because I know you weren't swayed by his logic and eloquent choice of words." It was sometimes hard for me to think of the power the innocent little boy was destined to possess. It just didn't make sense.

"Avatar Roku," said Joung Joung softly. "He came to me in the candle light while the boy was here. What I don't understand is, if Avatar Roku wants Aang to learn bending so quickly, why does he not have you-"

"Stop!"

"Nazala, what is-"

"Don't call me that!" I snapped. I immediately felt ashamed. "Master Joung, please forgive my disrespect." I looked down at the tea cup clutched tightly in my hands. "I am known as Kya in their eyes, a non-bending sword master. That is all."

"I see. You may stay to finish your tea, Kya. Now, I must attend to the boy sitting outside." Joung Joung stood and walked to the doorway, pulling aside the curtain and letting it drop behind him. I sat in the semi-darkness letting the candle light play tricks with the shadows. I could hear as a set of rushing feet came forward, and a man spoke quickly of trouble that needed attending to. I listened as Aang and Katara spoke, their voices heavily muffled through the thick curtain closing off the doorway. It wasn't until Katara cried out that I knew something was wrong. I surged to my feet and made it outside as Katara disappeared between the trees and Sokka tackled Aang to the ground.

"What happened?" I growled, pulling Sokka away from Aang. This was the angriest I had ever seen him and was afraid he might try to hurt Aang.

"He burned my sister!" Sokka yelled in anger as he pointed to Joung Joung who had just run up to us. "This is all your fault."

"Yes, and you must pack your things and leave immediately." Joung Joung seemed frantic, fear lacing his words. He stepped up to Aang before walking off to find Katara, disappointment blaring fiercely in his eyes, Sokka storming off in the opposite direction.

I sat down next to Aang and ordered him to tell me what happened. "I was just breathing and then the leaf caught fire. I was just trying to copy the magician, but it got out of control and burned her hands."

"Well, there's your problem. That magician at the festival, though only a magician, was a very skilled Fire Bender. He probably spent years working and perfecting that Dragon trick. The first step to Fire Bending is discipline. Without discipline, the fire will not obey your command. It will merely burn itself out, and destroy everything it touches." Tugging at his arm, I sent him into Joung Joung's hut to calm down and made my way slowly across the river bank in search of Katara.

It was another minute later that the sound of running feet caught my attention from deeper within the trees, a streak of blue flashing briefly between them. I continued in the direction Katara had come from, but stopped short when a blast of fire cut off my path. By the time I had made my way around it, Aang was running past me to aid Joung Joung. I pulled at his sleeve to hold him back as Joung Joung disappeared from within a sphere of flame. We both surged forward to engage Zhao, ducking and evading in motions that resembled dancing.

After a moment, Aang smiled at me and motioned for me to stay put. "I have an idea." Drawing Zhao's attention, Aang air bended his way onto the first of the three river boats Zhao had used to travel. Using Zhao's ego and lack of self-control against him, he manipulated Zhao into destroying his own boats. Pretty smart for a twelve year old. After one last parting quip from Aang, we both quickly made our way to Appa who had just dropped from the sky with Katara and Sokka in the saddle. In our escape, we flew over Joung Joung's complex, the entire camp quit plainly vacant. They had all gotten away unharmed.

Once we were all a safe distance from Zhao and had calmed down, Katara took sudden notice of the burn on Aang's arm. Bending the water from her pouch, she formed it around her hand and placed it onto the burn. When the water dripped away, his arm was healed.

"And when did you learn that trick?" Sokka sounded indignant and began listing the many instances when they were growing up that her healing ability would have been nice to know about. I let the wind around us drown out his complaining and thought tiredly about what shenanigans these three would get me into next. I quickly drifted to sleep with a smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> so, this chapter ended up about 800 words longer than the last one. A definite improvement if I do say so myself. Anyway, I'd love some feedback. Tell me about your theories so far. I know there's a couple of curve balls in here, and I want to see what you guys are making of everything.


	7. The Northern Air Temple

**Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I am up to no theft**

IMPORTANT: I have to apologize for taking as long as I did to update this story. Familial dysfunction has been the norm for the last few months and it was making it hard to find time to sit down and write. Though things have calmed down, they aren't stable yet. As you'll probably be able to tell from this chapter, I'm a little bitter and that's been reflected in my choice of wording.

This is the longest chapter I've written so far, so please enjoy.

* * *

><p>Book One:<p>

Water

Chapter Seventeen:

The Northern Air Temple

We had been traveling for about a day since leaving behind Joung Joung's camp. It was mid-afternoon when I finally gave in to sleep. Even though the cryptic dreams no longer plagued me, I still had trouble sleeping at night. I felt better staying up and watching over the others, taking naps during daylight hours when they were awake and alert. I was dreaming about food when Sokka's voice woke me from my latest nap.

"I agree with Kya's stomach."

I sat up quickly and looked around in confusion. "Sokka, I had no idea you had conversations with my stomach. I hope they're interesting."

"Your stomach growled really loud. He's just hungry and looking for excuses for us to stop and eat." Katara reached across the saddle and pulled a bag towards her, rifling through it and pulling out some seal jerky. "Here, chew on this. Your stomach sounds like it hasn't gotten any food in days."

"I'll be fine," I mumbled, pushing her hand away as my stomach betrayed me and growled again. "We're running low and I don't want to waste it."

"It's not wasteful when you're that hungry. Now, eat it." Her tone had grown dangerous, so I grabbed the jerky and quickly shoved it in my mouth. The girl could be downright frightening when she slipped into Mother Hen mode.

It was another few hours before we came across a decently sized village and landed on the outskirts. The village was small but warm and welcoming. It was just before sunset that we came across a man building a fire in the middle of many logs cut into benches. He advertised to us that later on, he would be telling Air Walker stories. The village was situated just south of the Northern Air Temple, and he commonly regaled wondrous tales of Air Benders from years past. Aang was beyond excited, and we made a point to come back and listen.

"So, travelers, the next time you think you hear a strange large bird talking, take a closer look. It might not be a giant parrot but a flying man, a member of a secret group of Air Walkers who laugh at gravity and laugh at those bound to the earth by it." The man ended with a dramatic flourish of his arms and quickly stood up with a hat in his hands. He made his way around the circle of audience members as Aang and Katara chattered excitedly about the story. When the man got around to us, Sokka dug into his pockets and pulled out nothing more than a bug and some crumbs. The worst part was that he put it back into his pocket.

Walking away, I went to speak with a few of the locals sitting at the other benches, hoping to ask where to purchase a cheap winter coat. Katara and Sokka were both prepared, having brought along their clothes from their village, but Aang and I were going to be in desperate need of proper coats and boots for the snow. To my slight anger and amusement, most of the villagers refused to speak with me. Still dressed in the Fire Nation clothes from Iroh, I was quickly assessed as a threat by most, especially with my swords hanging from my hips. I gave up eventually and wandered back to the others to discover a change in our route for the next day. This could not end well.

* * *

><p>"We're almost to the Northern Air Temple. This is where they had the championships for Sky Bison poling." Aang was smiling brightly in anticipation of seeing the rumored Air Walkers the man had spoken of. The temperature around us continued to drop, and I shivered as Katara and Sokka spoke beside me.<p>

"Do you think we'll really find air benders?"

Sokka continued to hack away at the piece of wood in his lap as he responded lazily, "You want me to be like you or totally honest?"

"Are you saying I'm a liar?"

"I'm saying you're an optimist, same thing basically."

"Hey, guys! Look at this!" Aang's cry of excitement at finding the temple became a whine of disappointment rather quickly. Though there were people slicing through the air on gliders, Aang could tell easily that they were not benders. He claimed they had no spirit. Just then, a boy flying the only glider that looked like Aang's swooped in so close to the saddle that we could feel the rush of air as he passed us, laughing jovially at our reaction. Taking to the sky after him, Aang leaped into the air and darted away. Appa lurched suddenly when the other people started gliding around us. Sokka surged forward and took the reins in hand, trying to guide Appa to solid ground as smoothly as possible.

The three of us jumped down and joined the group of other gliders that had dropped from the sky. We all stared up as Aang and the other boy glided seamlessly through the air, seeming to almost dance around each other. It looked as though they were both trying to show off their skills when pale grey smoke began pouring from the back of the chair the boy Teo was in. With the way he was flying, the smoke slowly drew out a picture in the form of a very disgruntled looking Aang. The picture seemed to be their finale and both boys made their way to solid ground, Aang coming to stand with us as Teo landed roughly. A few people came forward to remove the glider apparatus from his wheelchair before he made his way over to us.

Teo looked up at Aang and smiled brightly. "Hey, you're a real Air Bender. You must be the Avatar. That's amazing! I've heard stories about you." Aang spoke a humble thank you before Sokka walked forward praising the glider technology on Teo's chair. "You think this is good, wait until you see the other stuff my dad designed." Teo then lead us to the main tunnel off of the courtyard, and we quickly emerged in a great cavernous room in the temple. It was filled with pipes and bits of machinery, steam billowing out suddenly from gaps and openings. Some of the pipes had been skewered straight through the temple walls, sending out spider web cracking. Even the great statue set in prominence at the head of the room had a pipe sticking out of its right ear.

"Wow!" Sokka ran forward with his arms out stretched like a child given free reign at a festival, fingers itching to touch, eyes bright with rapt fascination, an enthused smile pulled tightly across his face.

"Yeah, my dad is the mastermind behind this whole place." Teo spoke in high praise of his father, his voice vaguely smug as he mentioned how highly advanced they were as a society.

"This place is unbelievable," said Aang softly from in front of us.

"Yeah, it's pretty great, huh?"

"No, just unbelievable." Aang walked away with a sad frown on his lips and a crease between his eyebrows. It looked like the changes to the room hurt him deeply.

Katara stepped up beside Teo to explain why Aang was so displeased. "I think he's just shocked that it's so different."

"So better!" Sokka called out over his shoulder. Katara just shook her head at her brother and walked over to Aang to comfort him.

"And what do you think about this place?" Teo had wheeled himself to my side and looked up at me expectantly. His eyes were wide and innocent. It was plain to see how deeply he did not understand the desecration committed by his father to such a sacred place. I wanted so badly to tell him how disgusted I was inside, but didn't dare speak it. I just walked away.

* * *

><p>I wandered alone through the expansive temple, grimacing at every fallen column, every crumbling wall, and every broken statue. There was some form of metal in every room, be it machines or piping. It was like a disease, and it left a bitter taste in the back of my throat. Something wasn't right here.<p>

Suddenly, there was a great crash of stone from somewhere above me, and I dashed outside to find where it came from. The sound of Aang's voice reached my ears, his words spoken in thick anger before the contraption that had knocked down the wall was air bended off the side of the cliff. I ran and had just entered a rounded courtyard with the others when a man began talking. He was dressed in all green with a white apron, and his eyebrows were badly singed. He spoke of how his people were refugees who came across the empty temple. He became fascinated with the people who had once lived there, wanting to emulate their flying capabilities.

"We're just in the process of improving upon what's already here. And truly, isn't that what nature does?"

Katara and Sokka were both wiping at their eyes when Aang responded. "Nature knows where to stop."

"I suppose that's true. But unfortunately, progress has a way of getting away from us." He and Sokka quickly began chattering about the man's many inventions and they went off to entertain themselves elsewhere. Katara, Aang, and I stayed with Teo and continued working our way through the temple, Aang complaining about the lack of anything remaining from the old days.

Teo stopped his wheelchair and picked up a small crab from the floor, handing it to Aang. "The temple may have changed, but the creatures here are probably direct descendants of the ones you remember. And besides, I know of one place that has stayed completely the same." We soon came up to a grand entrance, the lock on the door being one only an air bender could open. "I've always wanted to see inside."

"I'm sorry. I won't open it," Aang said. "This is the last place in the temple that hasn't been touched. I want it to stay that way."

We slowly made our way back to the outer terrace where we first landed, the mood of our group greatly lightened by the knowledge of the untouched room. Teo had become quickly gleeful at the idea of teaching Katara how to glide. The three of them talked about what a person needed to be able to fly, how it wasn't just wind currents and smooth gliding. Flying was spirit, something that comes from deep down inside you. I sat off to the side away from the edge as Katara walked off the side, her screams turning into joyous laughter. Aang made a few loops in the air with her before going back to stand with Teo. He told the boy how he had reconsidered opening the temple door. We quickly made our way back to ornately locked entrance.

With the swift, practiced motions of a skilled bender, Aang opened the door only to be met with devastation. What was once a room filled with sacred statues and scriptures was now a shrine to all things death and destruction. Metal and blades and Fire Nation emblems cluttered every surface and hung from every wall.

"You don't understand!" Teo's father ran up to us with Sokka following closely behind.

"That's where you're wrong. We understand perfectly." I turned my back on the sickening sight and looked into the mechanist's eyes, my shoulders tensed and lightly heaving. "You supply weapons to the Fire Nation in return for your safety. You're nothing but a coward." I started walking then, not caring where my feet took me.

* * *

><p>"You have been touched by war."<p>

I had made it to the Mechanist's private workshop, leafing through drawings and fiddling with small scale models of his inventions. He stayed by the entrance, the door only half closed, poised to run at a moment's notice. I picked up one of the models and turned it in my hands. It was a drill of some sort and quite finely made. "Your inventions are quite ingenious, but you fail to realize something important. You supply the Fire Nation army with weapons to protect your people while killing hundreds, if not thousands of innocent people that live beyond these walls. In here, they are just schematics and models, but out there they are bringers of death. These are not toys! You are a Mechanist of Death in a war with no foreseeable end! How can you possibly live with yourself knowing the lives your creations have extinguished!?" My volume climbed as I spoke and by the end I was screaming, angry tears dripping off my chin onto the now broken model in my hands.

"It's horrible to see someone so young with so much pain in their eyes. How old are you, sixteen, seventeen at the most?"

"Fifteen."

"Fifteen and already witness to death. Who did you lose to cause such anger in your heart?"

"My family," I whispered, thinking of the last time I saw my parents. "My innocence, if I ever had any."

He snorted softly and took a step further into the room. "Everyone was innocent at some point in their life. Even the Fire Lord was innocent as a child."

"I don't think I ever was. My very existence was meant for evil." I wiped furiously at the tears still clinging to my cheeks, my eyes fixed firmly on the floor. The silence was thick in the air while he pondered my words.

"Who are you?"

My laugh was choked and bitter. "I don't know." I walked from the room without glancing back.

* * *

><p>Katara, Sokka, and I were seated silently on a stone bridge connecting two towers when Aang and Teo rushed over to us. Aang was slightly breathless as he told us of the impending attack on the temple. Soon after I had left, the two boys had gone to speak with the Mechanist, the arrival of a Fire Nation War Minister interrupting them suddenly. Apparently, Aang had challenged him, and the Fire Nation was now on their way.<p>

"Aang, what are we going to do? How are we possibly going to keep them all away?" asked Katara, worried for the well-being of the people living there.

"We have something they don't, Katara, air power. Unlike the fire nation, we control the sky. We can win."

"I want to help. I wish to fight at your side." Teo's father had just emerged onto the bridge and stood within the arched doorway, his eyes briefly glancing at me. Aang smiled gratefully and agreed.

"No."

"Kya, I know you're angry with him, but he wants to make up for what he's done." Aang turned his pleading eyes to me, always the peace maker.

"He can work with you to help stop the Fire Nation, but I will not fight with him at my side."

Aang's wide eyes were blurred with confusion for a moment before clearing with sudden comprehension. "You don't feel like you could trust him fighting beside you. I understand." There was an unspoken question in his eyes. I could tell he was thinking of when Zuko and I had worked together to rescue him. That was different.

The six of us went to the private workshop and were quickly joined by the older settlers preparing a plan of attack for when the Fire Nation arrived. Sokka quickly explained his solution for the problem with the war balloon, showing us all the hatch built into the top to control the altitude. He went on to talk about the various bombs we had available to us, smoke, slime, fire, and stink.

"Never underestimate the power of stink," the mechanist said with a laugh.

We were all out on the terraced courtyard awaiting the Fire Nation's arrival, the children higher up and out of sight so as not to get hurt.

"Where is Sokka with that war balloon?" Katara asked exasperatedly of no one in particular. The first of the troops were making their way up the footpaths to the temple and Sokka was nowhere to be found.

"We'll have to start without him." Aang ran forward and sailed into the sky with Teo and three other flyers, each of them carrying a few slime bombs. Their goal was to drop them on the line of soldiers to knock them off the cliff face. Katara and I were on Appa passing more bombs to the fliers as they ran out when suddenly half a dozen chains flew up past us and latched onto the cliff, each one slowly pulling up a tank. The other settlers began hammering at the hooks to drop the tanks back to the ground as Aang used his air bending to flip them over to no avail. Each one he flipped merely righted itself and continued forward, a relentless charge against a peaceful people.

Katara and I guided Appa back to solid ground to avoid the whipping chains as the tanks fell and tried to reattach, both of us hopping off and gazing out over the edge. "Those things seem unstoppable," she cried.

"My dad worked on their design. It's some kind of water counterbalancing system." Teo was a few steps behind us gazing harshly at the numerous tanks still making their way forward. Staring at Katara, I could see when the words connected in her mind. She quickly made her way down to Aang and began helping him by freezing the tanks into place using the ice around her. The machines seemed only slightly hindered and quickly broke out of their icy bindings, the battle looking more and more bleak as the moments passed. Appa swooped down and picked them up before they could be overtaken.

It seemed like an inevitable defeat until the War Balloon crested the temple peaks. Sokka and Teo's father sailed over everyone, the Fire Nation soldiers neglecting to fire at them after seeing the red material emblazoned with a black flame. They quickly let each of four slime bombs fall on the approaching tanks. I watched as Sokka seemed to argue with Teo's father before they heaved the balloon's engine over the side and into a deep crack in the hillside. The resulting explosion shook the entire temple, tremors rippling through the ground. As the smoke cleared, everyone cheered at the sight of the soldiers' retreat.

"We're going down!" screamed Sokka as the balloon sailed over our heads, plummeting to the ground. Before I realized it, I was clutching an open glider, diving off the edge. Aang was right behind me on his own and we both flew up to the falling balloon. We each grabbed ahold of someone and took off, landing back on solid ground. "Thanks Aang," piped Sokka, wiping the sweat from his brow. "For a second, I thought we were goners."

I tried walking away from the Mechanist, but he grabbed my wrist before my escape. "Why did you save me? You hate me."

Meeting his eyes for the first time, I glared bitterly back at him. "No, I hate what you did, but your intentions were noble. I will not stand idly by as a person of innocence dies, no matter how small or tainted that innocence may be."

* * *

><p>After settling from the chaos of the battle, our group gathered with the other villagers before leaving to continue our journey.<p>

"You know, I'm kind of glad you all found this place," Aang was saying. "I've realized it's like the hermit crab. Maybe you weren't born here, but you found this empty shell and made it your home. And now, you protect each other."

Sokka stepped forward with a huge smile on his face. "Aang, you were right about air power. As long as we have the skies, we'll have the Fire Nation on the run."

I chose not to voice the sharp sense of foreboding that came with that statement and instead went and stopped next to Teo and his father. "Though your shame is justified, do not let it consume you. You were right to want to protect your son and your people. You just chose the wrong way to do so. You have learned your lesson, now grow from it." With a kiss to his cheek, I walked away and climbed into Appa's saddle, waiting patiently for the others to join me. As we set off into the sky once more, Sokka plopped down next to me to resume his wood carving.

"I thought you hated heights."

"I do," I said with a slight laugh, stretching my legs out and leaning back onto a folded blanket.

"Then, how are you able to control a glider so well? Aang said it takes practice to do what you both did to save us." Sokka was staring at me with a confused curiosity in his eyes.

"That, dear Sokka, is a story for another day." With a teasing smile, I closed my eyes and drifted away for some much needed sleep.

* * *

><p>AN: Again, I'm sorry for taking so long. Please review and give me some feedback on how you think this story is coming, other than being slow. I love hearing people's theories, so please tell me. I encourage your questions and comments.<p> 


	8. The Waterbending Master

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I am up to no theft.

Book One:

Water

Chapter Eighteen:

The Waterbending Master

We had officially reached the Northern Territory of the Water Tribe two days previously and had yet to find any sign of people. It was constant flying, and tempers were running high for everyone.

"I'm not one to complain, but can't Appa fly any higher?" Sokka was draped over the back of the saddle, staring out across the open water behind us, and every time he opened his mouth, I grew that much friendlier to the thought of tipping him over the side. I refused to get involved in any squabbling and ignored him, continuing to sharpen my swords on a stone from our last stop. The edge hadn't been sharpened in so long, they were growing dull.

Aang whipped around at Sokka's barbed remark and gave a counter-argument. "I have an idea, why don't we all get on your back and you can fly us to the North Pole?"

"I'd love to," he quipped back. "Climb on everyone, Sokka's ready for takeoff." Momo, in one of his oddly hilarious moments, leapt onto Sokka's back and seemed to look at him expectantly.

Trying to quell everyone's anger, Katara became the voice of reason and said plainly, "we're all just cranky from flying for so long without stopping."

"And for what? We can't even find the Northern Water Tribe. There's nothing up here." Immediately following Sokka's words was the sound of ice shifting and forming rapidly. Without warning, a jagged chunk of ice speared its way out of the water in front of us, too perfectly timed to be accidental. With a frightened yell, Aang pulled at the reigns and tried getting Appa further in the air before getting hit. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough, one of Appa's legs getting caught for an instant, spinning us harshly before dropping into the water. Ice now freezing us in place, half a dozen canoes steered their way out from behind the icebergs around us.

"They're water benders," Katara said excitedly. "We found the Water Tribe."

"More like the Water Tribe found us," I laughed, relaxing back into the saddle to further sharpen my blades.

The many boats flanked us in the water, guiding us towards the entrance of the hidden city from between a massive maze of icebergs. The great wall we came to was hundreds of feet high and dozens of feet thick. The benders in the lead of our odd little procession gouged a path under the wall for us to pass through, the next section of the gate like a huge puzzle activated by many benders standing at the top of each wall around us. The sight of the city in all its glory was truly astounding, like nothing I had ever seen. And that thought sent a cold stab of dread through my heart.

When we first met, I told Aang, Katara, and Sokka that my mother was from the Northern Water Tribe but had left when she was little. My story was a complete lie and I silently prayed to the spirits for the others to conveniently forget my words.

* * *

><p>There was to be a formal dinner in honor of our arrival to the Northern Tribe, a feast presented to us with abundant drinks and entertainment. While the others were taken to their chambers to freshen up, I stayed behind with Appa in the Grand Courtyard where the feast would take place. There was a raised platform and table at the head of the courtyard where the others would sit with the Chief, his daughter, and three of the tribal elders. I would be feasting elsewhere as part of my decision to remain as anonymous as possible.<p>

"You are still welcome at the head table if you change your mind Lady Kya." Chief Arnook had slowly made his way to me from behind and placed a hand on Appa's side, running his fingers through the soft fur affectionately. He looked down at me with his clear blue eyes, kindness and strength perfectly balanced within their depths.

"I am honored you think me worthy of your respect, but I am no one of importance. I am not one who needs celebrated." I couldn't risk questions being asked, and truly, I was not worthy of praise.

"The Avatar tells me you travel with him as a protector. You may not see your worth, but to be the protector of an Avatar in training, the last hope we have of ending this war, is a great honor. You have made it clear that you wish to remain unnoticed, and I will grant you that wish. But you cannot deny me the right to thank you." He called out to a few servants still preparing the courtyard for the celebration, gesturing for them to come forward. "Prepare a small table here away from the head table in honor of the Guardian." The men nodded swiftly and went about their task.

"What do you mean Guardian?" He merely smiled at my question and walked away with a twinkle in his eyes.

* * *

><p>The feast began just after sunset, the moon hanging high in the sky and shining her light upon all in attendance. Chief Arnook stood from the head table and raised his arms for silence. "Tonight we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sister from the southern tribe. And they have brought with them someone very special, someone who many of us believed disappeared from the world until now: the Avatar." A sudden burst of cheering resounded through the courtyard, quieting once more when the chief raised his hand. "We also celebrate my daughter's sixteenth birthday. Princess Yue is now of marrying age."<p>

A beautiful young girl with white hair and a kind smile stepped forward to join her father. "Thank you, Father. May the great Ocean and Moon spirits watch over us during these troubled times." She then walked over to take a seat next to Sokka, gracing him with another smile.

Chief Arnook clapped once and gestured to the rear of the courtyard where an elderly man and two boys not much older than us stood waiting. "Now, Master Pakku and his students will perform." Their hands moved together in fluid, sweeping motions, contorting the water in a swift, uniformed manner. As I watched the performance, I couldn't help but overhear Sokka's failed attempt at seducing the princess. His comment about being a sort of prince himself back in the Southern Tribe had me stifling a laugh with a bread roll.

Momo chirped and cocked his head to the side, looking at me like I had grown an extra limb out of my forehead. "Shut up," I muttered and threw the roll at him, only for him to catch it and start nibbling happily.

* * *

><p>The next morning was Aang and Katara's first lesson with Master Pakku, and Katara was simply bursting with excitement. After the feast in Aang's honor, Chief Arnook led us back to the main palace and showed us the room we were meant to stay in. It was sparsely decorated with the walls and floor draped in furs for insulation and wonderfully warm for a building made of ice. Granted, it was still far colder than I hoped. Aang and Katara left bright and early for their lesson, both chattering away about what they would learn. Soon after they left, Sokka emerged from the washroom with a fiercely determined, yet oddly lovesick expression on his face, no doubt headed off to find Princess Yue. I ventured out not long after, weaving my way through the city and marveling at the ornate carvings and intricate architecture.<p>

It wasn't long before I came to a small marketplace selling various food items and warm clothes. The most promising of the market stalls had rows of animal pelts and winter coats hung on multileveled bars along the walls. Heavy boots lined the walls along the floor, like soldiers ready to march into battle. With that somewhat morbid thought, I turned to the proprietor to inquire about the price of his coats. "I'm looking for something easy to move in and as warm as possible."

"Well, I have a number of options. The most important thing is your price range," he said with a rather greasy smile.

"If it's at all possible, something in the range of, I don't know, free?"

"No." With a sickly smile, he shooed me away from his stall, watching my hands so I didn't steal anything. Good call on his part.

"You don't want his stuff anyway," said a voice from my left. I turned to find a boy no older than me with dark wild hair and a mischievous glint in his eye. He looked like a water tribe version of Jet, but held a hidden inner power like Zuko. This boy was quite obviously an urchin of the street, just far cleaner than those I'm used to in the Earth Kingdom. "He's greedy, and prices everything twice what it's worth. He doesn't even do any of the sewing himself. You need Alma." He flashed a friendly smile and gestured to follow him.

Keeping a pace's distance between us, we weaved between various stalls, hopped over a low wall or two, and finally ducked in through a hidden entrance in the side of a large building. The inside was cavernous and empty of everything but beds, half of them occupied by children and adults alike. There were single persons and entire families huddled together around a single fire in the center of the room listening to an older woman speak as she dished out food to everyone.

She looked up at us and smiled warmly. "Who is your new friend, Kannu? She looks mighty cold." The only warmth I had managed to procure was a soft blue robe from the palace, more than adequate for inside, but far from enough for outside in the wind. "Come, child, we'll find you something better." She led me over to a closet door built into the wall and pulled it open, revealing a small selection of fur coats hung above a pile of snow boots. With a smile, she removed a simple dark brown coat and held it open for me to slip into. The fit was secure but loose enough to move in if the situation called. I smiled in thanks and we rejoined the circle around the fire, a warm bowl of seal blubber stew placed in my hands.

* * *

><p>After a warm meal and a friendly talk, I said goodbye to Alma and her many charges, popping back out onto a major path and wandering the city once more. A frustrated huff broke me out of my reverie, and I looked up to find Katara storming past me with a thunderous expression and tightly curled fists. Jogging to catch up, I walked calmly at her side waiting for her to explain. Sure enough, a moment later she stopped, spun to face me, and started ranting.<p>

"I can't believe him! What is wrong with this place? Denying girls any proper training? It's ridiculous! If a girl wants to fight, she should be encouraged to learn how, not ignored and sent off like a weakling!" Katara huffed a few more times, took a deep breath in and breathed out, "I feel better."

"Good, now start from the beginning." Katara quickly went through the events that led up to her angry stampede through the city streets, my blood quickly coming to a boil at her explanation. "That's absurd! And rather barbaric to be honest, but there's nothing you can do." She looked at me in surprised indignation, her mouth hanging open slightly and eyes wide. "Katara, I may agree with you on how unjust these rules are, but we are talking about customs reaching back probably hundreds of years. One girl from the southern tribe won't change anything. A single voice may be able to spark a rebellion, but no battle can be won if that spark does not catch fire. Just think on that while at your healing class."

"And where will you be? Searching out the urchins and befriending the homeless?"

"No," I said with a laugh, "I did that already. I think I'll go sit in on Aang's lessons from now on."

* * *

><p>I sat perched on the rim of a fountain and watched Aang get more and more frustrated with Master Pakku as their lessons progressed. He was stern, patronizing, and overall just plain mean. All I could think was how grateful I was to not be his student.<p>

"Little girl, if you are here to learn water bending, you are sadly mistaken."

Narrowing my eyes at his pompous sneer, I gave him a smile bordering on a grimace. "My name is Kya, I don't bend, and if you call me little girl again, I'll remove your hands." That certainly got the point across. He sniffed at me and turned his back to me to bark at Aang to try harder. The lesson continued much the same until the sun began to set and Aang's exhaustion became too much to ignore. "He is done for the night."

Master Pakku turned around slowly with tense shoulders and an icy sheen to his expression. "You are not the teacher here, litt-" He cut off his nickname for me abruptly, unsure if I would follow through with my threat or not. The swords still strapped to my back were of no comfort to him. "It is my decision when each lesson is over."

"He is the Avatar, and as his Guardian it is my decision when he is in need of rest." The title felt so foreign and still had no meaning to me, but it seemed to mean something to Master Pakku, as he quickly bowed and nodded once to Aang before walking away at a brisk pace.

"I have no idea what you just said," Aang said, joining me at my side, "but thanks!" He graced me with a huge grin, and we set off together back to the palace.

* * *

><p>The four of us were setting up our beds to sleep that night when Katara asked her brother about the warrior training he had mentioned wanting to attend. His response was to kick his bag and flop face down on the floor with a frustrated huff. Such a drama queen.<p>

"That bad?" asked Aang, scratching Momo's ears affectionately.

"No, it's Princess Yue. I don't get it, one minute she wants to go out with me and the next she's telling me to get lost. So, how's water bending training?"

Katara proceeded to flop face down as well, as Aang explained what had happened this morning. "Master Poophead won't teach her because she's a girl." I couldn't help but notice that he neglected to mention how it was against their culture's customs. No matter how wrong and unjust it was, we could not ask him to just ignore a centuries old belief on the grounds of it not being fair. It would need to be fought strategically.

"Why don't you just teach her, Aang?" came Sokka's voice. That's not what I meant.

"This will not end well."

* * *

><p>"What do you want me to do, force Master Pakku to take Aang back as his student?" The next morning found us in the royal hall of the palace seeking counsel with the chief, his daughter, and the tribal elders, Master Pakku sitting stoically beside Chief Arnook.<p>

"Yes," Katara said," that's exactly what I want, please."

"I suspect he might change his mind if you swallow your pride and apologize to him."

Katara reluctantly agreed after glancing back at a silent Aang. "I'm waiting little girl." The sound of a blade hitting the throne-like platform made everyone look down at me sharply. The message for Pakku was clear; my earlier threat about his hands included Katara.

"No! No way am I apologizing to a sour old man like you!" Katara's ranting was harshly punctuated with angry gestures of her hands and arms and a savage cracking of the ice below our feet. Two large decorative urns at either side of the platform burst open suddenly, spilling the water they held across the floor, drowning our feet. "I'll be outside if you're man enough to fight me." A gasp from the princess followed Katara's challenge as the irate young girl stormed from the hall. I ran after her quickly, worried she would do something even more stupid if left alone.

Aang and Sokka quickly caught up to us and voiced their opinions. "Are you crazy, Katara? You're not gunna win this fight."

"I know, and I don't care," she snarled, tossing her heavy coat into Sokka's arms. Without the extra bulk she seemed so small but strangely more formidable.

Aang tried reasoning with her as we made it to the bottom of the long staircase down from the palace. "You don't have to do this for me. I can find a new teacher."

"I'm not doing this for you. Someone needs to slap some sense into that man."

Aang made to argue further before I pulled him away. Pakku made his way down the stairs and Katara prepped herself for battle. "Aang, Katara needs to do this. She is fighting for what she feels is right, so let her fight. You never know, she just might win something."

Master Pakku got to the bottom of the stairs but made no move to stop, not even sparing a glance in our direction. His casual departing words were enough to send Katara into a frenzy and make me seriously consider killing him with a well-aimed throwing knife. "Go back to the healing huts with the other women where you belong." The ensuing fight was both exciting and nerve-wracking, filled with crashing waves, stinging whips, patronizing remarks, and of course a wayward blast of water from Katara hitting Sokka in the chest. Though Katara held her own remarkably well, it still ended with her imprisoned in a circle of icicles, her head and hands pinned in place. "We are finished here."

Master Pakku began walking away calmly, but his steps faltered suddenly and stopped. He bent down and picked something up from the ground. "This is my necklace. I made this sixty years ago for the love of my life, for Kanna." His voice was filled with awe and heartbreak, making him finally seem human for once.

"My gran-gran was supposed to marry you?" Well, what a strange coincidence.

"I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged. I thought we would have a long, happy life together. I loved her."

"But she didn't love you, did she?" Katara had stepped forward out of her icicle cage as it suddenly melted around her. "It was an arranged marriage. Gran-gran wouldn't let your tribe's archaic customs run her life. That's why she left. It must have taken a lot of courage." The situation was having a dramatic effect on Princess Yue, and Katara's final words finally set her off. She quickly escaped from the courtyard in tears, Sokka darting after her a moment later.

* * *

><p>The next morning's water bending lesson started in much higher spirits than the last had ended. Master Pakku was still demanding and his comments were still rather patronizing, but they were much more in jest rather than truly spiteful. My attention was dragged away from the class when Katara ran up to Aang's side.<p>

"What do you think you're doing?" Pakku asked, suddenly angry. "It's past sunrise. You're late." He smiled softly his eyes giving a subtle warning not to do it again. The students all took their first positions to begin warm ups as Master Pakku wandered over to me. I was perched on the edge of one of two large wells cut through the ice to better allow the benders to practice. "Would you like to join us?"

I looked up at him incredulously and chuckled without humor. "I can't bend."

"Don't lie to me. I can see it in your eyes. If you wish to join us you may."

"I can't bend," I repeated, my voice lower than normal.

"Can't or won't?" The attention of the class had wavered and was now focused on us, Aang and Katara looking deeply confused.

"I can't bend." My voice was tight with quickly building anger, barely restrained and begging to break free. Tears prickled at my eyes, and I blinked them away before they could fall.

Master Pakku seemed deeply disappointed and turned around to continue his class. Halfway there, he stopped again, brought his arms up, and suddenly turned. From the opposite well, a great torrent of water rose over the heads of the class and slammed into my chest. I was knocked backwards into the water behind me, my lungs vacant of any air and burning in my chest. Breaking the water's surface once more, my control snapped. My hands rose without my permission and took hold of the water around me, freezing it into viciously sharp icicles and sending them barreling at Pakku at a startling speed.

"KYA, STOP!" Aang's shout brought me back to reality, the ice melting quickly before it could touch the now frightened Master. Fear screamed from everyone's eyes, fear of me.

"What have you done?" I whispered brokenly, my voice cracking pathetically. Aang made to step towards me, but I ran. And I kept running.

* * *

><p><strong>VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!<strong>

So, chaos has reigned supreme in my world for the last few months, but I will not be elaborating further than the explanations presented here. I am moving out of state soon for various reasons, some good but mostly the sucktastic I-just-have-to-put-up-with-this-shit kind. Sorry for the language. I will get the end of Book One posted before I leave but will not be posting again for a while. I'm moving to the middle of nowhere and may not have access to the internet for a while. I plan to take advantage of that and hopefully get Book Two done before the internet issue gets resolved. Luckily, I just bought all three seasons of the show, so having no access to the website I was using before won't be a problem.

Thanks for reading and please send me a comment or critique or anything. If you want to rant at me, that's fine too. I'll even accept a flame, because I haven't gotten one of those yet on any account, and I think getting one would be hilarious.


	9. The Siege of the North

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I am up to no theft

So, I'm rather disappointed in the lack of response for the last chapter. I got nothing for chapter 8, and that makes me less excited to write the next two books. Just sayin'. Well, here's chapter 9 and the final installment in Book One: Water. Keep an eye out for Book Two: Earth. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Book One:<p>

Water

Chapter Nineteen:

The Siege of the North

I was perched on the roof of Alma's building, smoke from the fire drifting up through the vent in the ceiling. Heat wafted up from the room below and kept me mostly warm as the wind blew around me, biting at my cheeks and nose and stinging my eyes. Crouched like a cat ready to pounce, I hid from everyone, my anger and pain coiled like a snake in my chest choking my lungs. The truth hurt too much to consider, and I pushed it out of my mind. It had been three weeks since Master Pakku had forced my hand, and I had refused the company of anyone but Alma and Kannu. Neither of them knew what had happened on the practice field but could tell something had changed. The air was thick and heavy, bearing down on the shoulders and lungs of the people around me. You could taste the pain and guilt on your tongue with every breath.

"Looks like a storm is coming in." Kannu dropped into a crouch next to me, looking out at the sea, large chunks of ice dotting the surface. An offshore wind was dragging in darker and darker clouds, the color ominous and foreboding. As the dark tendrils crept across the sky above us, a steady fall of snow began to blanket the ground. It was a dull grey and left the once sparkling city dirty and dark.

Standing from my crouched position, I focused my eyes on the distant horizon. "That's not a storm."

* * *

><p>"The day we have feared for so long has arrived. The Fire Nation is on our doorstep. It is with great sadness that I call my family here before me, knowing well that some of these faces are about to vanish from our tribe. But they will never vanish from our hearts."<p>

I could just barely hear Chief Arnook's words over the roar of the waterfall between us. Much of the tribe had congregated in the royal hall in response to the banging of a set of warning drums. Everyone sat silently in the hall, listening to their chief's guiding, calming words. The grand waterfall behind the throne-like dais covered the mouth of a hidden tunnel, a tunnel I had discovered only a week before during my secret excursions through the city every night. It was one of many hidden passages and shortcuts through the vastness of the pole, mostly unknown by all but the rare urchin like me.

Arnook's voice rang higher with passion, an undercurrent of solemnity lacing his words. "Now, as we approach the battle for our existence, I call upon the great spirits. Spirit of the Ocean, Spirit of the Moon, be with us. I'm going to need volunteers for a dangerous mission."

Sokka's voice was the first to break the resulting stillness. "Count me in."

"Be warned, many of you will not return. Come forward to receive my mark if you accept the task." A respectful silence fell over the hall, and I made my way back through the tunnel and into the city.

* * *

><p>The tribe's soldiers were marched to the outer wall and stationed at the edge of the city. The first launch of the Fire Nation catapult was startling and unexpected. The ball of flame crashed into the outer wall with a great burst of smoke and steam, sending spidery cracks across the surface. I watched from a tower above the great wall as the first ship came into sight on the horizon, the next two fireballs more expected but just as destructive. Aang rode out on Appa to head off the projectiles long enough for the soldiers to regain their footing and start water bending and ice bending to stop or put out each fireball as they sailed toward us. I watched as Aang made quick work of the lead ship, destroying the various catapults on its deck, a team of water benders stopping it in its tracks.<p>

The stillness of victory was short lived. Everyone's hearts plummeted at the sight of hundreds of ships lined up on the horizon in sickening uniformity. "Spirits, be with us."

The fighting dragged on into the evening, the ships drawing nearer and nearer as the sun inched its way towards the horizon, the sky turning red and bloody. Soldiers and citizens alike banded together to stop the fireballs before they caused much damage to the city. With all the chaos, I was able to take part in the fighting without attracting any attention to myself, aiding the benders in putting out various fires. A small fleet of canoes carried soldiers up close to the ships, allowing them to render the ships useless by sinking them or freezing them in place.

Just before sundown, the Fire Nation Navy stopped all forward advancement, pausing for the night and allowing the city to fall into an uneasy calm. I quickly snuck away from the public to hide away from Aang and the others.

* * *

><p>The deserted alleys and walkways between icy buildings were cold and small, dark and comforting after the heat and sweat of battle. I was making my way aimlessly through the city, tunnels and paths leading me in an unknown direction of the city's choosing, leaving my fate up to the spirits. Night had long since fallen over the no longer peaceful city and the light of the near full moon lit the path I seemed to be meant to take. Imagine my surprise, or lack of it, when I come across the one person I least expected to find in the Northern Water Tribe. The spirits certainly have a sense of humor.<p>

I had ducked inside a large drainage pipe as a short cut back to Alma's home, when a patch of ice on the floor of the tunnel quickly began to melt. I was only a few paces away when Zuko broke up through the newly melted hole and collapsed on the ice. I rushed forward and pulled his head to my chest, his lips a frightening shade of blue.

"Zuko." His teeth were chattering and his entire body was convulsing with violent shivers. "Zuko, you need to get up. We have to get you warm." The next few minutes were spent bending the water out of his clothes and pulling him up and forcing him to stand. We made quick work of the last stretch before reaching Alma's home. Ducking inside, some of the others rushed forward to help me bring him towards the fire, a bowl of steaming hot soup being forced between his frigid fingers. Getting him to eat was no easy task. I had to force the first few spoonfuls past his lips and had to hold the bowl even after he began eating the soup on his own.

"Who is he, child?" Alma's age-wizened voice came from across the fire pit, her hunched shoulders seeming so much smaller without the shawls now draped across Zuko's chilled form.

Looking at Alma through the red glow of the flames was disconcerting, shadows wreaking havoc across the wrinkled planes of her face, making her seem ancient and harsh. "His name is Li," I lied. My stomach suddenly felt hollow and sick and I had to look away from her piercing eyes. Zuko's gaze was not much better to look at but did not feel quite so judging. "He saved me from the ocean once. I'm merely repaying my debt." Alma did not look convinced but refrained from saying anything more. She stood slowly and walked away to check on the various other people in her care, glancing back at me occasionally.

Zuko quickly finished his soup and set down the bowl, pulling Alma's shawls tighter around his shoulders. The look he gave me was harsh and angry, completely incongruent with my saving his life. "You left with them," he growled. Oh. "You just left. They didn't stop you or question you or anything. You just jumped in the saddle and left." Zuko's voice was shaking softly, be it cold or emotion, I didn't know. "I asked Uncle about it after you left." Zuko stopped talking and looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers and testing their movement. They were still a bit stiff but seemed undamaged.

"Zuko, I-"

"He said he was surprised that I still didn't remember you."

My breath caught in my chest, a sharp pain lancing through me suddenly. "What did he mean by that?" I asked, thoroughly fearing whatever answer he would give me.

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me anything more." I let out the breath I had been holding, relief flooding my being before leaving me with a dull sense of unease. He may not know yet, but the answers were getting closer.

"I'm not Earth Kingdom. I overheard two of your crewmen speculating about who I was. I took advantage of the story they assumed was the truth."

"So, what about you is real?" His amber eyes made something deep inside me crack, and I had to look away.

"Sometimes not even I know that anymore. I've spent so long pretending, it's become second nature to lie."

"Do your friends know how much you lie?" He spat the word friends with a bitterness so harsh and sharp that I couldn't help but flinch slightly.

Catching Zuko's eyes and holding his gaze, I spoke slowly and clearly. "No, Aang and the others do not know that the story I told them was fake, and they mustn't find out. I need their trust." Zuko looked confused but calculating, probably trying to think of a way to use that to his advantage. "I work as a sort of bodyguard," I clarified. "Though so far all I've done is tagged along on their everyday adventures. Well, except for the times you needed me more."

He seemed ready to protest the thought of needing anyone but stopped himself and instead just hung his head down, pulling harshly at the hair trailing from his pony tail. "You know I will need to keep chasing him. I need to capture the Avatar."

"And so long as you don't hurt him, I won't stop you." He looked up at me shocked. "I will not assist you, and I will not let you leave without me. But I understand this is something you need to do, for your honor." He didn't need to know that I was not referring in any way to his father restoring said honor. That was something he needed to realize on his own. "Now, if you are feeling better, I believe Aang will be somewhere in the Palace at this time, exactly where, I do not know."

As if on cue, Alma appeared above us with a nod of her head and a smile. She gratefully accepted her shawls back from Zuko and reached up to give him a light kiss on his cheek. As she whispered something too low for me to hear, Zuko's cheeks reddened to a lovely rose hue, his eyes bugging out slightly. With his lips pressed tightly together, he nodded once and hurried away, eyes pointedly avoiding mine.

"What could you possibly have said to get that reaction?" Alma just smirked and gave me a small wink. I had to run to catch up to Zuko, and we then made slow progress up to the Palace, me silently refusing to correct him every time he made a wrong turn.

* * *

><p>When we finally managed to make it to the Palace, we found Aang in the very center, walls of frozen rock lining a melted pond. A small island sat in the middle of the water with an even smaller pond in the dead center of the island, two arched bridges the only way to reach the strange grassy circle of land. I elected to stay behind and out of sight, worried by the presence of both Katara and Princess Yue. Aang was sat cross legged at the edge of the island, his eyes glowing a bright white light and tattoos the same. Zuko stormed across the bridge, giving a mild threat to Katara. In the past she may have been worried, but with the training from Master Pakku, Katara was a fierce bender. She was quick to defend Aang as Zuko rushed forward, a brazen move that did not end well. Katara was truly in her element, surrounded by water and ice and passionately defending her friend.<p>

The attacks came and went, each one getting the upper hand only to be thwarted once more. It wasn't until Katara trapped Zuko securely in an iceberg that there was any substantial pause. And even then, it only last a few moments. As Katara took a calming breath to re-center herself, the sun broke its way past the horizon line, its morning rays washing over the city and spilling into the oasis we were gathered in. The light fell across Zuko's face and he lifted his head with a snarl. Breaking free from his temporary prison, Zuko hit Katara with a sudden blast of flame, knocking her into the wooden archway behind her.

Zuko took hold of Aang's collar and turned back to Katara. "You rise with the moon. I rise with the sun." Zuko heaved Aang onto his shoulder and made his way quickly back to the doorway he entered from. I stood waiting for him on the other side and tagged along behind him as we ducked our way out of the Palace and out of the city altogether.

I could hear as the Fire Navy resumed their attack on the Northern Tribe, crashing and banging, shouts and screams ringing out and then fading away beneath the wind. I had to fight my every instinct not to return and engage in the battle raging behind me. My duty was protecting the welfare of the Avatar, and right then, the Avatar was not a part what laid behind me.

Zuko and I trudged through the snow, wind whistling past us at roaring speeds, snow gathering in the creases of our coats and the neck of our boots. The snow storm was building up to a blizzard, and any color around us was muted and grey, the only light coming from Aang's tattoos.

"You know," Zuko grunted, "you could help me carry him." Zuko was hunched over, pushing against the wind, Aang's added bulk on his shoulders not helping with the wind resistance. He was visibly straining in this kidnapping endeavor, and I couldn't stop the smile that pulled at my lips.

"I told you I would not stop you from taking Aang. But I am not here to help you in any way." Zuko just snarled and hitched Aang higher up on his shoulder, marching ahead of me by a few paces. We were silent for a while after that. The sudden cracking of the ice beneath our feet was an unwelcome change after the near hour of monotony. Racing forward, I caught up with Zuko and took his hand in mine, pulling him along as the ice shattered out from under us. One great leap was the only thing that saved us from the water, landing hard in the snow in an ungraceful lump.

"We need to find shelter," I yelled over the roaring of the wind.

"You mean like that?" Zuko asked sarcastically. He was pointing ahead of us at the mouth of a small cave, a heavenly sight in this barren expanse of ice and snow.

"That'll work." We ran as fast as we could towards the cave, dropping to our knees as the wind was cut off. Zuko dragged Aang by the collar and dropped him against a small bank of snow. Pulling a length of rope from inside his coat, Zuko bound Aang's hands behind his back. "He's traversing the Spirit World. There's no need to tie him up when he's not a threat to you."

"He may be gone for now, but he will wake up sooner or later."

"Oh, actually thinking about the future now, are we? You should have been doing that before we left the city and marched into a blizzard." I was muttering harshly under my breath, just loud enough for him to hear me and become further frustrated. He was much too amusing when angry.

We sat in silence for a while, both of us curled inward to conserve heat. I glanced up just as Zuko blew a plume of fire into his hands. "You mind sharing some of that warmth, Prince Hothead?" He glared up at me for a moment, only to watch me shiver violently. So, I was playing it up a bit, but he didn't need to know that. Zuko's eyes softened after a moment, and he gestured me over. I curled up under his arm, leaning heavily into his side. It took him a few minutes to calm down, but when he did, he seemed to just melt. But it didn't last long.

* * *

><p>Silence reigned in our little haven from the storm. A deep sense of warmth and contentment had seeped all the way down through my bones. Zuko was not so relaxed. He had been staring at Aang for the last few hours, a tension building up in his muscles.<p>

"I finally have you." I nearly jumped at Zuko's sudden words. It took me a moment to realize he wasn't talking to me. The disappointment was strange and foreign. "But now I can't get you home because of this blizzard. There's always something, not that you would understand. You're like my sister; everything always came easy to her. She's a fire bending prodigy and everyone adores her. My father says she was born lucky. He says I was lucky to be born. I don't need luck though, I don't want it. I've always had to struggle and fight, and that's made me strong. It's made me who I am."

Zuko finished his speech and let the tension bleed from him, relaxing against the cave wall and melting us further together. But our brief moment of intimacy was shattered when a blinding white light shot into the cave and disappeared into Aang. Zuko broke away from me and climbed to his feet as Aang woke and struggled with his bonds. "Welcome back."

"Good to be back," Aang said harshly, sucking in a lungful of air and blowing out hard, the bended gust forcing Zuko into the wall and Aang out of the cave. Zuko and I followed quickly, but with his arms and legs still bound, Aang could not get any farther.

"That won't be enough to escape," Zuko snarled, picking Aang up by his collar again. Before another word could be spoken, Appa dropped from the sky, Sokka, Katara, and Yue riding in the saddle. "Here for a rematch?" he asked Katara as she jumped down onto the ice.

"Trust me, Zuko. It's not going to be much of a match." Katara doused the jet of flame sent at her with almost no effort, lifting Zuko into the air and dropping him hard onto the ice.

Sokka rushed forward to untie Aang and noticed me standing aside as he dropped to his knees. "So, you're on his side now, huh?" he asked gruffly, wrestling with the ropes still wrapped around Aang.

Katara stood in a defensive stance, poised to fight if I posed any threat. "Why didn't you tell us you could bend? You're obviously a Master, so why didn't you offer to teach us?" Her voice was laced with anger and hurt, suspicion lying just below the surface. I could see how much she wanted to trust me, but her pride wouldn't let her.

I pulled back my shoulders and straightened my spine, forcing my body to its fullest regality. "Your questions are valid, but this is neither the time nor place to discuss my bending or my allegiance. All you need know at this time is that you are safe in my presence, and I only have Aang's best interests at heart."

"Katara," Aang called softly. She dropped her stance just slightly and turned to look at him. "We all have our secrets. Kya is entitled to hers. I trust her." The name sent a small stab of guilt through me, but like I had said before, now is not the time. "We need to get to the Oasis. The spirits are in trouble." Aang, Katara, and Sokka ran back to Appa and climbed into the saddle. I knelt down beside Zuko and pulled one of his arms over my shoulders, beginning to pull him to his feet.

"Excuse me, but he's not coming with us." Sokka scoffed lightly, thinking back on the numerous times Zuko had tried to kill them.

"No Sokka, Kya's right. We can't just leave him here."

Sokka looked at Aang and said bluntly, "Sure we can."

I held on tightly to Zuko, clutching him to my chest. "If we leave him here, he will die." Aang leapt down from the saddle and grabbed Zuko's other arm, helping me get him over to Appa. Aang took hold of us both and air bended the three of us into the saddle.

"Yeah, this makes a lot of sense," Sokka said sarcastically. "Let's bring the guy who's constantly trying to kill us."

* * *

><p>We were half way back to the city when the pale blue light of the moon suddenly turned fire nation red. Both Yue and Aang slumped over for a single moment, bringing their hands up to their faces in pain. "The moon spirit is in trouble." Aang clutched tighter to Appa's reigns.<p>

Yue dropped her hands to her lap and gazed up at the moon. "I owe the moon spirit my life." I leaned back against the side of the saddle and watch the horizon for the beginning of the city, listening intently as Yue described her connection to the moon. She explained how the spirit had saved her by placing a piece of itself within her, turning her hair white. As her story finished, the city appeared below us, blasts of fire coming from all different directions. Without water bending, the mighty city was sure to fall.

We went straight for the Oasis, landing Appa on the small island only to find Zhao standing with a group of soldiers and a wiggling canvas bag in his right hand. Aang, Katara, and Sokka jumped from the saddle and stood ready for battle. I crouched on the edge of the saddle, swords drawn and ready to defend the princess if needed, Zuko lying tied up behind her.

Admiral Zhao raised his fist, threatening to deliver the final blow. "It is my destiny to destroy the moon and the water tribe."

"Destroying the moon won't just hurt the water tribe," Aang said, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "It will hurt everyone, including you. Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that will unleash on the world."

"He is right, Zhao." Iroh's voice growled softly from our left. He stepped forward slowly, wearing a deep red cloak turned black in the red light of the moon.

"General Iroh, why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?" Zhao asked rhetorically.

"I am no traitor, Zhao," he said, lowering the hood or his cloak. "The fire nation needs the moon, too. We all depend on the balance. Whatever you do to that spirit, I will unleash on you tenfold!" Iroh lifted his hands threateningly, a passionate determination lighting up his eyes. "Let it go, now!"

Zhao held his ground for another moment before dropping to his knees, a defeated sigh on his lips. He opened the bag and dropped the moon spirit back into the pond, the light turning a soft blue once more. Everyone let go a sigh of relief. Only, it was a moment too soon.

Zhao leapt to his feet and thrust out his arm, a vicious jet of crackling flame burst forward and into the pond. For one stunned, silent moment, nothing happened. But then the moon disappeared. The moon was gone and the only light left behind was an ethereal, muted grey glow. All the color seemed to have drained from the world, and an empty, hollow feeling was left behind.

Iroh gave almost no pause before rushing forward in attack. He took out the four soldiers with almost no effort, Zhao disappearing from sight. Yue jumped from the saddle and rushed toward the pond.

No one saw as I cut the ropes binding Zuko. "No questions, just go." He nodded a silent thank you and slipped from the saddle before disappearing.

Joining the others at the edge of the pond, Iroh stooped down and pulled the now dead koi fish from the pond. Yue clung to Sokka's coat, pressing her face into his shoulder. "There's no hope now. It's over."

Standing next to Aang, I watched as the arrows on his hands began to glow, the light working its way up his arms, down his legs, and up the back of his head. "No, it's not over." Aang's voice was layered by his many past incarnations, the echoing sending a chill down everyone's spines. He walked forward into the center of the pond. The black koi fish, the ocean spirit, swam in a tight circle around his legs until Aang suddenly dropped into the water. Blue light spread out in delicate tendrils, seeping through the water and ice around us. The center of the water began to rise up, a figure taking form. The ocean spirit grew until it towered over the city, making its way between the many buildings and wiping out the invading fire nation. All progress the soldiers had made was washed away in a matter of seconds.

* * *

><p>"It's too late. It's dead." Katara gave the koi fish back to Iroh who placed it in the pond. She had tried healing the wound on its side, but there was no reviving the dead.<p>

Iroh looked up at me and I gestured silently towards the princess. He turned to Yue and his eyes widened. "You have been touched by the moon spirit. Some of its life is in you."

"Yes, you're right. It gave me life." She looked up at us and her eyes seemed to glow a beautiful crystal blue, the only color left in the world at that moment. "Maybe I can give it back."

As she stood up, Sokka took hold of her hand. "No, you don't have to do that."

"It's my duty, Sokka."

"I won't let you. Your father told me to protect you."

"I have to do this." She gently pulled her hand away from his, her jaw set with a harsh determination. She placed her hands on the dead koi fish, and a glow enveloped her just before she fell, Sokka catching her in his arms.

"She's gone." A moment later, her body vanished and the moon spirit returned to life, jumping back into the pond.

The light spread quickly across the surface of the water and a specter of Yue rose up. "Goodbye, Sokka. I'll always be with you." They shared a brief kiss before she was gone once more and the moon appeared in the sky. The battle was over. The fire nation was stopped. Yue was dead, but the world was in balance. The victory was bitter sweet.

* * *

><p>The next morning dawned grey and bleak. The dead were collected and returned to their families. Water benders were brought together once more to begin the rebuilding of the fallen city. I sat with Aang as the sun rose behind the layer of grey clouds. We didn't speak for a long while, just listened to the waves far below us.<p>

"Master Pakku officially deemed Katara a water bending Master." He spoke softly, wary of breaking the peaceful spell around us. "Despite your secrets, I still trust you. Katara and Sokka may not see it, but I know you only want to help. It's okay that you keep secrets. I just hope that one day you'll trust me enough to tell me those secrets." Aang finally turned to look at me and smiled in his special, childish way.

I smiled back softly and got to my feet. "Maybe some day I will. But for now, they're mine to keep." I kissed the tips of my fingers and placed them on Aang's forehead in farewell. Slowly climbing down from the crumbling wall we sat upon, I made my way to the outer edge of the city.

* * *

><p>I got to the toppled outer wall of the Northern Tribe to find Zuko and Iroh ready to leave on a makeshift sail boat. A tattered fire nation flag was passing as their sail and it fluttered sadly in the wind.<p>

"Trying to leave without saying goodbye?"

Iroh looked up and smiled broadly, a chuckle jiggling his round belly. "Now that the battle is over, we are not welcome here." He glanced back at Zuko who was busying himself with tightening the sail. "However, if you would like to come along, you would be most welcome."

Zuko whipped his head around to protest, but I cut him off before he could speak. "No. My duty is protecting the Avatar. I can't very well do that if I'm not with him."

"Very well, young one. It is your choice." Iroh bowed deeply and stepped onto the raft, pushing off from the ice with his foot.

I waved for a moment and turned around to go find Aang and the others. I got three steps before I stopped, turned, and ran for the edge of the ice. Leaping into the air, I landed heavily onto the raft, sending it bucking to and fro. Zuko grabbed hold of my arm to steady me and looked at me with an incredulous expression. "On second thought, he can survive without me for a couple weeks." Iroh's smile was blinding, and Zuko just shook his head wearily.

Life was certainly getting interesting.


End file.
